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Jared McCain is pushing for a regular role with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Tony Jones of The Athletic reported that the 2024 first-round pick has impressed in training camp and has shown promising early returns ahead of his rookie season.
“Multiple team sources indicate McCain has played extremely well in camp, especially on offense,” Jones wrote. “He’s played without fear, but most importantly, with patience and aplomb. He’s a highly skilled guard who has a chance to be impactful at all three levels and can play both spots in the backcourt.”
Jones reported that McCain likely won’t be starting on opening night but is making a case to find himself in the rotation and to be viewed as a building block for the future alongside Tyrese Maxey.
The 76ers took McCain with the No. 16 pick in the 2024 Draft after one collegiate season at Duke.
During his time with the Blue Devils, he averaged 14.3 points, five rebounds and 1.9 assists in 36 games. He was named to the ACC All-Freshman team and was also named NCAA All-Region during Duke’s run to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.
He joins a Philadelphia team that went 47-35 and fell in the first round of the NBA playoffs. However, the addition of Paul George, as well as others like Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon and Andre Drummond, improved a roster that already had stars in Maxey and Joel Embiid.
This year’s 76ers team should be a contender in the Eastern Conference and McCain will hope to add to the team’s depth before eventually taking on a larger role.
Philadelphia opens the 2024-25 season on Oct. 23 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
