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In what has been deemed a weak rookie class, any flash of production can get people excited quickly. Last season, Victor Wembanyama’s generational numbers overshadowed a lot of other rookies, and it took some of the excitement out of young guys playing well at times. That’s not the case this season. Any big game out of a rookie is magnified to the point that one night can completely shake up the Rookie of the Year odds.
That’s what makes McCain’s stretch stick out. Sure, it can at least partially be attributed to some of the injury woes that the team has dealt with early on, but he still took advantage of the opportunity. He has gone from a player that would see some extra minutes with Tyrese Maxey out to a player that Nick Nurse can’t take out of the lineup. McCain has solidified his starting spot, and he’ll share the backcourt with Maxey for years to come.
All three of Maxey, Joel Embiid and Paul George were sidelined against the Cavs last week, which allowed McCain to get the first start of his career. He ended up finishing with 34 points, 10 assists, two steals and six 3-pointers. That was only the third time in NBA history that a rookie reached those marks in a game, with Stephen Curry doing it in 46 minutes and Jason Kidd needing 49 minutes. McCain did it in just 38 minutes against one of the best defensive teams in the league.
Wednesday night was the first time that Philly had their newly formed big three available at the same time, which was concerning for McCain’s production. How well would he do as the fourth option? Well, Maxey is still on a minutes restriction, and George left with a knee injury, which happened to be on the same knee that he hyperextended during the preseason. At least for now, the question of how this all fits has been delayed once again.
McCain remained in the starting lineup and played a career-high 41 minutes. He extended his streak of games with at least 20 points and three 3-pointers to six games, which puts him in a tie with Allen Iverson for the second-longest streak by a rookie. He’ll have a chance to tie Jalen Green’s rookie record of seven games against…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy-basketball-dynasty-weekly-jared-180323190.html
Author : NBC Sports
Publish date : 2024-11-21 18:03:00
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