76ers’ Jared McCain equals Lakers rookie’s eye-popping stats

After Jared McCain made his first start for the Philadelphia 76ers, he prevented the team from even considering sending him back to the bench.

The same could be said about McCain’s draft classmate Dalton Knecht of the Los Angeles Lakers.

So far this season, both rookies are leading the early Rookie of the Year race, and a lot of that has to do with how much they’ve contributed down the stretch.

As for Knecht, his three-point shooting was supposed to be his bread and butter coming out of college. McCain may have had high hopes of being a three-tier scorer, but he posted high percentages throughout the first stretch of the season.

The rookies tied twice this week for the most games with five or more 3-pointers by a freshman. Knecht got the edge over McCain during the Lakers’ win over the Utah Jazz on Nov. 19, when he hit nine threes in 38 minutes.

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

A relatively healthy Lakers team has used Knecht all season. However, he started on the bench, playing an average of 15 minutes in seven games before making his first start.

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

During that time, Knecht averaged 24 points per game on 60 percent shooting from the field and 58 percent from three.

As for McCain, his first start came on November 13th when he logged 38 minutes of playing time against the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the Sixers shorthanded and missing several starters as time goes on, McCain’s role has suddenly increased early on.

In five starts, McCain shot 51 percent from the field and 48 percent from three for 27 points per game. In addition to his scoring, McCain dished out five assists in the game, turning the ball over approximately twice.

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