Philadelphia 76ers Rookie Makes Ambitious Steph Curry Claim

The Philadelphia 76ers selected Jared McCain with the 16th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The Duke standout is projected to be a part of the Sixers' rotation in his rookie season.

McCain's Summer League performance left a lot to be desired, as he clearly has a lot of room for improvement. He put up 11.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, 28.6% shooting from the field and 25.5% from beyond the arc.

It goes without saying that that is not an impressive stat line. At the same time though, McCain is 20 years old. He needs time to adjust to this level.

The good news is that not a lot of expectations will be put on his shoulders in his rookie season, as the 76ers have a lot of depth. McCain can expect minutes here and there, and will probably spend some time in the G League as well.

In the long term, McCain's potential is very high. Hopefully, he will come into his own in the NBA once he gets some experience under his belt.

One thing McCain does not seem to lack is confidence. In an appearance on Podcast P with Paul George , the rookie said when asked about his player comparison: "I would love to say Jalen Brunson, not quite there yet. Steph Curry. Obviously, Steph Curry of course. I would love to be even close to that. I think, like CJ McCollum."

It is safe to say that McCain has a lot of confidence in his shooting, even though his conversion was not great in the Summer League. Let's hope that his shots start falling soon. They need to, if the Curry and Brunson comparison is to lead anywhere of substance in the future.

It is good to see the rookie's ambition. The first step to doing anything is believing in it and belief seems to be one of McCain's strengths.

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