76ers’ Jared McCain Matches Lakers Rookie in Impressive NBA Stat

Dalton Knecht and Jared McCain continue to battle with high-volume three-point scoring games.

Nov 22, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) reacts to his three pointer against the Brooklyn Nets during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Once Jared McCain collected his first start with the Philadelphia 76ers, he made it difficult for the team to consider even sending him back to a bench role.

The same can be said for McCain’s draft classmate, Dalton Knecht, of the Los Angeles Lakers.

So far this season, the two rookies have headlined the early Rookie of the Year race—and a lot of that has to do with the value they have brought from long-range.

When it comes to Knecht, his three-point shooting was expected to be his bread and butter coming out of college. McCain might have more expectations for being a three-level scorer, but he’s been a high-percentage shooter from deep through the first stretch of the season.

This week, the two rookies have tied on two occasions in having the most games with five-plus three-pointers made for a first-year player. Knecht got the edge over McCain during the Lakers’ November 19 win over the Utah Jazz when he knocked down nine threes in 38 minutes.

On Friday, McCain hit six threes in 38 minutes against the Brooklyn Nets.

This is @sixers @J_mccain_24's third game this season with at least five three-pointers. That's tied with @DaltonKnecht3 for the most among @NBA rookies.

All other first-year players have three such games combined.

h/t @Stathead

— Sixers Stats (@SixersStats) November 23, 2024

A relatively healthy Lakers team has utilized Knecht all season long. However, he started as a bench piece, averaging 15 minutes of action through seven games before picking up his first start.

After Knecht started and played a career-high 26 minutes, he returned to the bench for three more games. On November 15, Knecht started against the San Antonio Spurs. Since then, he collected four straight starts, averaging 35 minutes of playing time.

During that stretch, Knecht has produced 24 points per game on 60 percent shooting from the field and 58 percent shooting from three.

As for McCain, his first start came on November 13, when he collected 38 minutes of playing time against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Considering the Sixers have been shorthanded, missing multiple starters over time, McCain’s role had an unexpected increase early on.

Jared McCain tonight:

30 points
6 rebounds
3 assists

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR pic.twitter.com/I41oZ8D3KB

— Blue Devils (@BlueDevils) November 23, 2024

Through five starts, McCain has shot 51 percent from the field and 48 percent from three to produce 27 points per game. Along with his scoring, McCain has dished out five assists per game while turning the ball over roughly two times.

It’s still early on in the season, and a lot can change, but it’s clear that McCain and Knecht are the two rookies to keep an eye on this year for the Rookie of the Year title.