The 2024 NBA Draft is considered the weakest pool of talent in recent history, though a few promising gems have emerged. With one year of professional experience in the books, analysts can make a more accurate assessment of where the players stand in the rankings.
The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie conducted a re-draft of last year’s class. Vecenie positioned Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain at No. 3.
“McCain only got to do it for about a month while the 76ers were dealing with injuries, but no player flashed more upside as an offensive weapon last season than him. From Nov. 8 until Dec. 4, he averaged 21.7 points, three rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 47 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3 and 85 percent from the line in 13 games. And these were games at the beginning of the season when teams were still highly competitive, as opposed to some of the late-season runs we saw after a large portion of teams were out of contention.”
Dec 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) and Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) in action at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The 76ers selected McCain with the No. 16 pick in last year’s draft. McCain had an impressive month-long stretch before a season-ending knee injury. The California native was named the NBA Rookie of the Month for November.
In this re-draft, the 21-year-old would be chosen by the Houston Rockets. The Rockets selected Reed Sheppard with the draft’s No. 3 pick.
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle holds the No. 1 spot in Vecenie’s re-ranking.
“Castle won the Rookie of the Year award and deserved it. It was a bit of a roller coaster early on for him, as he’d showcase terrific monthlong stretches followed by months when he was a bit less valuable. However, from right around the start of March onward, Castle was tremendous through the end of the year, averaging 19.3 points, 5.6 assists and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 46 percent from the field and drawing six free-throw attempts per game over his final 25 games.
Apr 9, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) dribbles against Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2) in the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images / David Gonzales-Imagn Images
If McCain was not sidelined for the majority of last season, it’s very likely that he would have been in the mix of contenders for Rookie of the Year. Regardless, he is a valuable part of the 76ers’ rotation.
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