The Philadelphia 76ers lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers to drop to 2-9 on Wednesday night. While the team’s record remains concerning on paper, fans couldn’t help but feel good about the performance put on by the rookie Jared McCain.

Once again shorthanded, the Sixers had to trot out a different starting lineup against Cleveland. With Tyrese Maxey still out and nursing a hamstring injury, Nick Nurse decided to roll with the rookie McCain for the first time in the former Duke standout’s NBA career.

Lately, McCain has been making a strong case to stick around in the rotation as a role player off the bench. On Wednesday, he added an impressive performance to his resume and even had a notable national writer/analyst paying close attention and offering praise.

via @KevinOConnorNBA: Jared McCain is translating so quickly. Most impressive rookie of the season so far.

Entering the 2024 NBA Draft, there wasn’t any talk of McCain landing in the Top 5.

While he was a Top 10 player in the eyes of Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey, McCain wasn’t selected in the lottery. Instead, he was on the board when the Sixers were up to pick at No. 16 overall.

There was a thought to potentially move the pick, but McCain was too good for Morey and the Sixers to pass up. The Duke freshman became the Sixers’ first first-round pick since they selected Jaden Springer in 2021.

McCain’s role was unclear heading into the 2024-2025 NBA season. He totaled just six minutes on the court through his first two games. By the third outing, he saw the court for 17 minutes off the bench. Since then, he cleared 12 minutes of playing time in all but one of the next eight matchups.

Over the past four games, McCain has picked up at least 30 minutes of playing time. During that stretch, the rookie is averaging 26 points on 46 percent shooting from the field and 43 percent shooting from three. He also dished out four assists per game.

At this point, McCain is building such a strong case to stay in the Sixers’ rotation even when the All-Stars return. If his playing time keeps up, the national writers and analysts might begin to build a case for McCain’s Rookie of the Year campaign, as he’s standing out as a first-year favorite to some so far.

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