Most of the time in the NBA, fans don’t expect rookies to take a lead role on teams and excel quickly. But Jared McCain and Zach Edey are both doing that.

McCain, who plays for the Philadelphia 76ers, has been a huge standout so far in his rookie season, dropping 23, 34, and 29 points in his last three games.

He went to Duke for one year before choosing to enter the draft. He was selected 17th in the first round and went to the 76ers. 

His career high in college was 35 points, and he already has one game with 34 points in his rookie NBA season. He has shown how comfortable he is by handling the ball and taking necessary shots.

Edey, who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies, has also been a standout player.

He has hit a season high of 25 points in one game, but Edey is really more effective on defense, having four blocks in that same game. 

He stands at 7 foot, 4 inches, which helps the Grizzlies a lot while he is cleaning up missed shots around the rim. 

Edey went to Purdue for college all four years and averaged 18.2 points for his whole career, but averaged 25.2 points in his senior year.

Both players are talented for being both rookies. But they are just two of the players in the conversation for Rookie of the Year. 

Other players who have been mentioned are Zaccharie Risacher from the Atlanta Hawks and Bub Carrington from the Washington Wizards. 

All are great candidates, but McCain is looking like he will be the one to stand out. His confidence and his ability to score is really what sets him apart from the other rookie players. 

He is playing like most of the greats did many years into their career, and he likely will just keep getting better.