The Philadelphia 76ers were arguably the most snakebitten team in the NBA. It just got worse.
Rookie guard Jared McCain, a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year honors, suffered a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee on Friday and will require surgery that will leave him unconscious indefinitely. the Sixers announced on Saturday.
The exact moment McCain suffered the meniscus tear is unclear. At one point he left the game against the Indiana Pacers, but it was because a fall in which the back of his head bounced off the court.
Still, the loss of McCain is perhaps the biggest blow yet for the Sixers, who have struggled to assemble their core triumvirate of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George on the court. The trio has played just three games together so far in 2024-25, and Embiid is now dealing with a sinus fracture that will be evaluated over the weekend. He has played a total of six games all season.
The team has a 7-16 record, and McCain was a big reason why that record isn’t even worse. The 16th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft leads all rookies in points scored and shoots a solid 38.3% from 3-point range, setting numerous milestones along the way.
McCain had been starting at point guard with Maxey out, but in recent games he had primarily come off the bench. However, he was still an important part of the rotation and replacing him won’t be easy, even if the team has gotten used to playing shorthanded.
As for Rookie of the Year, McCain was the favorite to take home the award, reflecting both the productivity of this season’s rookie class and the strength of McCain’s game. Since McCain almost certainly did not play enough games to compete for the award, the field is now truly open.
Stephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs, Dalton Knecht of the Los Angeles Lakers and Yves Missi of the New Orleans Pelicans loom as possibilities, but many more rookies could become top contenders with just one good month.