Your average 20-year-old NBA rookie, fresh out of college and suddenly playing against the biggest and best in the league, probably is hoping to avoid having to go toe-to-toe with a defensive powerhouse like OG Anunoby.
But Jared McCain is not your average 20-year-old NBA rookie. The Sixers’ first-round pick from the 2024 draft playing in just his tenth NBA outing found himself, ball in hand, charging into the paint—with 6-foot-7 Anunoby (and his 7-foot-5 wingspan) between McCain and the rim.
“I don’t know what I was thinking,” McCain said with a laugh postgame Tuesday night.