Rookie Jared McCain leads depleted 76ers to huge overtime victory

In a surprising turn of events, the Philadelphia 76ers entered their Sunday game against the Charlotte Hornets with the worst record in the Eastern Conference. With former MVP Joel Embiid sidelined for every game so far, all-star guard Tyrese Maxey out with a hamstring injury and free agent addition Paul George just three games into his season, injuries were much to blame for the 1-7 record of Philadelphia. point.

However, these injuries have given rookie Jared McCain an opportunity to step into a senior role with the 76ers, which he has taken full advantage of. Friday night against the Lakers, the former Duke Blue Devil played a career-high 31 minutes en route to 18 points on 4-of-9 shooting from deep. He followed up this performance with his best yet on Sunday against Charlotte.

McCain scored a career-high 27 points, including 23 in the second half and in overtime, to lead the 76ers to a crucial win. He made another call from deep, scoring three of his eight attempts from beyond the arc. This shot-making brilliance was also evident from the halfway line, where McCain converted a number of difficult attempts off the dribble.

Throughout the game, McCain’s ball handling stood out. As a prospect, many evaluators had questions about the dynamics of his handle, but in this game it was more than effective. Although not very complex yet, his grip is tight and with his 6-foot speed it helps him go downhill. Additionally, his ability to shoot with an elite pull-up means he doesn’t need an elite handle to be a consistent offensive threat.

With Maxey out for two weeks, Philadelphia will continue to lean on McCain to fill their void of offensive creation. With the 76ers getting their stars back from injury, McCain will have a great opportunity to complement their three core players, Embiid, Maxey and George, as a key contributor to the rotation.

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