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Jared McCain keeps learning how he can be even better

Jared McCain doesn’t let shooting slumps or spells on the bench bother him. He just keeps finding ways to thrive in the NBA.

Brooklyn Nets v Philadelphia 76ers - Emirates NBA Cup Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
Tom West has been covering the Sixers with Liberty Ballers since 2018, and also spent two seasons on the Sixers Zoom beat during the pandemic.

Jared McCain, top NBA Rookie of the Year candidate, being the best Sixers story of 2024-25 so far is not what anyone expected at this point of the season. But it’s where we are, and the 20-year-old guard continues finding ways to lift up the team.

After McCain’s lights-out seven-game stretch where he scored at least 20 points in every game and averaged 26.1 points and 4.3 assists with 50.8/45.6/96 shooting splits, he cooled off for a few games from Nov. 24 to Nov. 30. He also returned to the bench for two contests — including a rather surprising amount of time on the sidelines in the fourth quarter against Charlotte.

After shooting 2-of-21 from three (and 12-of-41 overall) over a three-game spell, though, he bounced right back.

McCain still dropped 17 points in only 21 minutes on 7-of-10 shooting (including 3-of-4 from deep) against the Hornets on Tuesday, before scoring 24 on 10-of-17 shooting in a close loss to the Magic on Wednesday. His production has been crucial too, as Paul George and Joel Embiid have remained out so much with injury.

It’s safe to say the reigning Rookie of the Month didn’t let a brief slump or increased time on the bench get in his head. He keeps learning how to succeed in a variety of ways in the NBA.

It bodes well for McCain that he can be such a dangerous shooter either on or off the ball. Against Orlando this week, it helped that defenders were throwing so much attention and blitzes at Tyrese Maxey, allowing McCain to benefit with quick-trigger spot-up threes. McCain also knew he’d have the chance to use more shot fakes as a result.

“They were blitzing ‘Rese, so I was able to get more open looks,” McCain explained to reporters after the game when talking about how he got back on track. “And then they weren’t blitzing me, so I was able to come off screens sometimes and hit a three. And I know they’re going to fly at some of my shot fakes, especially late in the game, so just being able to knock it down. Just staying confident each game.”

McCain has been excellent creating shots off the bounce from inside the arc and driving to the rim — using nifty changes of pace, crafty footwork, and an array of finishes (like scoops high off the glass that helped him beat the Magic’s talented defenders like Jonathan Isaac at the rim). But his off-ball scoring is obviously a major asset too. And it’s what will fit in so well on this Sixers team whenever they’re actually fully healthy.

He’s so good at relocating, coming off screens at speed, and tricking out defenders with skillful, precise fakes and footwork:

But while being adaptable to score in different ways undoubtedly helps McCain, the rookie knows he doesn’t need to panic and overcorrect with changes when things don’t go his way. Whether it’s a spell on the bench or a brief shooting slump, he knows he can trust things to bounce back. He didn’t worry after his recent three-game cold stretch — which is exactly the right mindset to have.

When asked about his approach through slumps after playing the Magic, he gave a very level-headed answer.

“I don’t really do anything,” McCain said simply. “People have asked me this question since high school and I think the worst thing you could do is change — change anything. I work too hard on this jump shot. There’s no way I’m going to change something with my routine, anything. It’s just shots are not going to go in sometimes. That’s just how it is. It’s the best defenders in the world, best players in the world. They’re going to guard you differently each game, so I think just adjusting to that, knowing what they’re going to do and taking the shots with confidence. Each game’s going to be different. The shot’s not (always) going to fall, but you’ve got to affect the game in other ways.”

Within that confidence and faith in his process, he’s also keeping his mindset simple and knows he can utilize different scoring tools both inside and outside the arc.

“Just get the ball in that hoop,” McCain said when asked about how he’s had two good games against the Magic and their third-ranked defense full of athletic, rangy players. “That’s pretty much it. Anytime I come off ball screens, I feel like I can either race it to the high lay or just come off the screen and look for a shot. I think when we set higher pick-and-rolls, it’s easier to come off with more speed. I don’t know what it is, but just trying to put that ball in the hoop.”

McCain’s versatile scoring skillset continues to stand out. Apart from his 38.3 percent three-point stroke on six attempts per game for the season, he’s making a highly efficient 64.7 percent of his shots within three feet of the basket and creating 69 percent of his two-point field goals without assists — all while making 54.6 percent of those two-point shots. Especially for a 6-foot-2 rookie only 20 games into their career, that’s awfully impressive.

For McCain, though, he finds the NBA different than college, but simpler in a way. He’s getting comfortable with certain actions that work for him, and getting used to how his opponents operate.

“It’s funny, I don’t feel like it’s more complex,” he said when asked about the NBA’s complexity vs. college. “I feel like the game is simpler here. There’s simple sets that every team kind of runs. You have different players who play their positions differently, but a lot of it’s the same sets. College is definitely different. I feel like high school and the NBA are more similar. But it’s just the same sets. It’s a double drag or regular drag or down screens, pin-downs. You just kind of play off that.”

No one saw this level of play coming from McCain. He’s impressed in a host of ways as a scorer, shown real playmaking chops, and has clearly been one of the Sixers’ best players this season.

The best at times in their usually shorthanded state.

If this is just the beginning, it looks like McCain is well and truly set up to keep shattering expectations.

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