Mar 17, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) warms up before the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Sixers Honor Jared McCain's Breakout Showing vs Cavaliers

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Kevin McCormick | Last updated Aug 31, 2025 5:42 PM ET

Heading into the 2026 season, one member of the Philadelphia 76ers many have their eyes on is guard Jared McCain. As he attempts to bounce back from a devastating finish to his rookie campaign, the team highlighted one of his most promising showings.

After being drafted 16th overall back in 2024, it was unknown how often McCain would see the floor on such a veteran-heavy roster. However, that quickly changed when the roster was left depleted due to injuries.

Upon being thrown into the mix, McCain wasted no time proving how valuable he can be for the Sixers. He displayed stellar two-way play and a strong competitive spirit. At one point, McCain was viewed as an early frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, but that came to an abrupt end when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in a matchup against the Indiana Pacers.

Across 23 appearances as a rookie, McCain averaged 15.3 PPG and 2.6 APG on 38.3% shooting from beyond the arc.

In these final weeks of the offseason, the NBA is conducting a "best of" trend across social media. Numerous teams have decided to parktake, including the Sixers. They honored McCain with such a post, looking back on his breakout performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Without the services of the big three, the Sixers have a sizable void to fill in their offense. McCain would take this responsibility upon himself, erupting for 34 points and 10 assists against a then-undefeated Cleveland team.

McCain's stellar play kept the Sixers in striking distance for most of the night, but Donovan Mitchell and company eventually pulled away enough to walk out victorious.

first NBA start for @J_mccain_24

34 PTS | 10 AST | 6 3PT
#BestOfNBA pic.twitter.com/CXyB218CHP
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) August 28, 2025

This game would end up being McCain's season-high and one of two instances he broke the 30-point mark before injury left him sidelined.

After undergoing surgery and an elongated rehab period, McCain is ready to get his NBA career back on track. The former first-round pick is expected to be 100% by the time training camp rolls around in a couple weeks.

Seeing that he proved to be a viable two-way option last season, McCain has a good chance to open the year in Nick Nurse's rotation.

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

More must-reads: