Jared McCain polishes the early Rookie of the Year case with a 30-point performance

When the Philadelphia 76ers assembled a roster starring Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, they probably didn’t expect rookie Jared McCain to lead the team in points scored through 15 games.

That’s what ended up happening. It’s a fact that reflects a disastrous season so far for the Sixers, but that doesn’t mean McCain hasn’t been outstanding.

The 16th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft led Philadelphia to a much-needed 113-98 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, with 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. That’s not a bad way to improve an early Rookie of the Year case that was already looking strong.

McCain’s night, and recent run as the leading scorer for the Sixers, made a number of small pieces of history. He has now

Most impressively, Friday was perhaps McCain’s seventh straight game with at least 20 points. Every other NBA rookie have collected a total of 10 such games.

Clearly, none of this was Plan A for the Sixers, who are still just 3-12 after their win over the Nets. McCain succeeds by inheriting usage that was supposed to go to a trio of All-Star teammates who still have only played three quarters of basketball together due to persistent injury issues.

If/when Embiid, George and Maxey are all healthy again, McCain will likely move into a more complementary role while still getting shots from the perimeter. But for now, McCain is taking a chance and running away with it, and that’s the kind of thing that can win you Rookie of the Year in a wide-open field.