One of the bigger storylines this season for the Philadelphia 76ers is how Jared McCain will look like after missing almost an entire calendar year due to injuries. So far, the sophomore guard has been predictably rusty, although to toss everything up to rust would be underselling it, to be quite frank. To cut to the chase, [he has not been a good watch](https://thesixersense.com/76ers-nearing-unfortunate-jared-mccain-conclusion-01kecj7vhnvj).
While this is nothing out of the normal, the 76ers are quickly heading into a delicate dynamic with McCain. On one hand, this is still a talented prospect who was the top rookie in his class before injuries last season. On the other, Philly already has a couple of entrenched guards to build around, and there might not be any more room for a third fiddle to shine in that regard.
With McCain struggling, the 76ers may no longer see him as an indispensable piece of the puzzle. Sure, he still deserves some benefit of the doubt given his strong play when healthy, but if there is one thing that is certain, it is that the front office should no longer be comfortable calling him one of the foundational pieces for the franchise in the future.
Jared McCain enters a delicate phase with the 76ers
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It would seem like no matter what the 76ers decide to do with McCain, there will be a caveat. That will be the case if the premise that [he is still playing at a subpar level](https://thesixersense.com/76ers-have-worrying-jared-mccain-problem-only-has-one-solution) remains. The front office could keep him in the loop where he is slated to be a gunslinger off the bench and stunt his development. Conversely, they could flip him for a player who fits them better while drawing flak for giving up on a promising guard.
These conversations are really only more foolproof when the team is yet to find a clear pecking order. However, the 76ers are no longer in discovery mode with their nucleus. Their core is pretty set for the foreseeable future, and McCain getting usurped this fast by VJ Edgecombe only makes him an even trickier player to incorporate into their long-term plans.
The only thing working for the 76ers in this regard is the fact that they do not have to rush the process at all. McCain is still trying to regain his rhythm, although the team is not in a position to allow him to simmer given the stern win-now edict spreadeagled across the organization.
Is Jared McCain aims to re-assert himself as a core piece for the Philadelphia 76ers moving forward, he will have to do much more than just regain his mojo. After all, the dynamics have changed in the course of this franchise, and the front office will probably not wait for him to start showing his promise if a better piece shows up.