The Philadelphia 76ers have been one of the top teams in the league in recent history, but they’ll need their sophomore star to help them bounce back next season.
Last season was miserable in Philadelphia. Joel Embiid never seemed to play at full strength, Paul George was in and out of the lineup and just about everyone else seemed to miss time at some point.
Despite all of their troubles, the 76ers will be heading into the 2025-26 season with championship expectations. With Daryl Morey at the helm, the 76ers have still built one of the league’s top rosters on paper, and Jared McCain is certainly a key part of the team’s high expectations.
Next season, McCain will be in his second season in the league, but it will be his first full season, assuming he can stay healthy. As a rookie, McCain played in only 23 games, but his production was enough to land him on ESPN’s top 10 sophomores to watch for next season.
Jeremy Woo placed him at No. 9 on the list, which could turn out to be quite low, but considering he already averaged 15.3 points last season, a legitimate leap in year two could be difficult after spending most of the season recovering from injury.
Add in No. 3 pick VJ Edgecombe and some better potential health luck from their stars, and the 76ers might not need McCain to carry a big load. In any case, it should be fun to watch the second-year star grow and potentially stake his claim as the best player from his draft class.
