Former Duke basketball player Jared McCain was the runaway favorite to win the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year award before a torn lateral meniscus ended his first season in the league after just 23 games. However, a now crowded backcourt in Philadelphia could hinder McCain's ability to build on such a successful rookie campaign, and potentially risk a major hit to his production in year two.
McCain was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 16th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after spending one year in Durham, and already looks like one of the best picks of that draft class. In his 23 games of action before his season-ending injury, the 6'3 guard averaged 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists on 46.0%/38.3%/87.5% shooting splits. He's already blossoming into one of the top young guards in the NBA, but with so many mouths to feed in Philly come the 2025 season, there's no certainty that McCain will be able to play to his fullest potential.
Tyrese Maxey leads the backcourt in Philadelphia, established as one of the best young, ascending point guards in the league. Beyond the one-time All-Star, the Sixers have a new face in VJ Edgecombe, a score-first, athletic guard who the franchise selected with the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The team also traded for guard Quentin Grimes at last season's trade deadline, and the former Kansas Jayhawk and Houston Cougar played the best basketball of his pro career through the back half of last season with Philadelphia. Grimes is a restricted free agent and remains unsigned, but all signs point to the four-year NBA vet returning to the 76ers.
All of these guards are score-first players who thrive with the ball in their hands, and with so many mouths to feed now in Philadelphia, there's bound to be an odd man out. This could be McCain.
Maxey will lead the way, and the Sixers didn't spend a top-three pick in the draft on a player they don't plan on being a critical part of the offense right away. And if the Sixers do pay Grimes, he'll need the ball in his hands often as well.
McCain is an extremely talented player, but might be the most expendable of any of the four lead guards in Philadelphia. Time will tell if he's able to continue the production of his rookie year while possibly sitting behind several other talented players.