Every season, the Rookie of the Year is one of the most widely followed and anticipated awards handed out in the NBA. Some years, you have a Victor Wembanyama or Chet Holmgren who distance themselves from the pack. Other years, like this one, there is no sure thing and no big frontrunner.
Selected No. 17 overall by the 76ers, McCain has been playing with something to prove, and it shows. Thriving on a shorthanded 76ers team, he has emerged as a true ROY contender. McCain, whose odds to win the award were 40-1 entering the season, has scored 84 points in his last three games, becoming the first 76ers rookie since Allen Iverson in 1997 to post 80+ points over three games.
A notable 16 of the last 20 winners were top-five draft picks, with guards dominating the award (12 wins), followed by forwards (five) and centers (three). Finally, Rookie of the Year winners aren't typically on winning teams -- just four winners have made the playoffs in the year they won.
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