Dec 4, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) during the second quarter against the Orlando Magic at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Sixers Guard Jared McCain Dubbed Best Pick of 2024 NBA Draft

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Kevin McCormick | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 7:12 PM ET

Over the past few years, the Philadelphia 76ers have had a lot of success picking outside of the draft lottery. Not only were they able to find a future All-Star late in round one, but Jared McCain has shown flashes of being a valuable piece to the roster moving forward.

Following a strong freshman campaign at Duke, McCain was selected by the Sixers 16th overall in 2024. Despite not starting his rookie year in the rotation, that quickly changed when injuries started to pile up.

Upon being given extended minutes, McCain quickly emerged as a steal in his respective draft class. He put together an impressive run last November, jumping out as an early frontrunner for Rookie of the Year in the process. McCain had numerous standout showings to start his NBA career, including a 34-point, 10-assist outing against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Unfortunately for McCain, his first year in the NBA would be cut short after suffering a knee injury against the Indiana Pacers that would require season-ending surgery.

With the first 25 years of the 2000s in the books, Sam Quinn of CBS Sports decided to list the top draft picks from each class. Although it was a small sample size, McCain still got the nod as the best selection from 2024.

We didn't see much of McCain because of injury, but he was running away with Rookie of the Year before that. His scoring upside as a No. 16 selection would be unusual even in a good draft. To fall that far in a class this weak seals what a good job Philadelphia did with this pick. The Sixers saw what he could become. The rest of the league missed. Like McCain, Stephon Castle flashed star potential. He just did so from the No. 4 slot, so it wasn't nearly as impressive a pick.

Before getting injured, McCain averaged 15.3 PPG and 2.6 APG on 38% shooting from three across 23 appearances. Though his time on the floor was brief, it was enough to show the Sixers they made the right decision on draft night.

After having an extended period to recover, McCain is poised to get his career back on track in his sophomore season.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia 76ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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