After a few weeks of silence on the matter, the Philadelphia 76ers have finally delivered an update with regard to the much-awaited return of Jared McCain, who has been out since training camp due to an untimely thumb injury that delayed his comeback after missing almost all of last season and getting his fiery freshman campaign cut short due to a torn meniscus.
As reported by PHLY Sports’ Kyle Neubeck, everyone on the team was a full participant in today’s practice session. Of course, the includes McCain, whose initial timeline to return from injury is already on its tailend. That is a very encouraging update for fans who were already desperate to see him return to the hardwood.
Last season, McCain was the clear frontrunner to win Rookie of the Year. No offense to Spurs guard Stephon Castle, who eventually ended up taking the coveted plum, but McCain would have definitely won it had his campaign not been cut short by a season-ending injury.
76ers deliver encouraging Jared McCain news that should excite fans
McCain was tabbed to have a prominent role in his sophomore year, and as long as he avoids a setback, that should remain the case even with the 76ers at full strength.
Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Quentin Grimes are all off to hot starts this season, but the 76ers could still use the off-ball and on-ball prowess of McCain. Despite being a rookie last year, he showed flashes of being a high-end three-level scorer while also bringing secondary playmaking to the table. Those are valable traits that will only serve to bolster Philly’s second-ranked offense at present.
It will be interesting to see how Nick Nurse and the coaching staff will ease him back into action, but McCain is definitely someone they cannot just toss to the aside and hand with a minor role. As soon as he acclimates anew to the pace of the game, he should most certainly see himself logging considerable minutes for the squad.
Philadelphia still needs to solidify its scoring off the bench, and having McCain back will right the ship on that front. Just imagine the 1-2 punch him and Grimes will have in the second unit assuming that Edgecombe keeps starting games (as he probably should).
Hopefully, there will be no more setbacks for Jared McCain. 76ers fans have not only missed the joy he brings when he is playing, but also the fire he plays with to incinerate opposing defenses.