The Philadelphia 76ers currently have an embarrassment of riches in the back court. Between Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jared McCain, and presumably Quentin Grimes, the team has no shortage of options when it comes to explosive and stable guard play.
Having said that, such abundance of talent will inevitably lead to some overlaps one way or the other. All of those players profile as score-first guards who are best-served having prominent scoring roles. Yet despite the 76ers having a lot of depth at the guard positions, there is bound to have an odd man out sooner than later.
Right from the get go, Grimes seems to be the obvious choice as to whom the 76ers will be most comfortable parting with among that group. He is not even officially signed with the team yet, but the most probable outcome is that him and the front office will only come to terms on a short-term deal. That already seals it.
However, that is already a known fact among everybody. What is most riveting is what do the 76ers make of their triumvirate of guards. And if I were to make a guess, my money is on McCain to be the misfit.
The 76ers have to embrace this bitter truth about Jared McCain
Truth be told, McCain is probably the most expendable of the three. Given how he is currently profiled, there is nothing he can do that Tyrese Maxey cannot, unlike VJ Edgecombe, who already has the makings of a potential two-way force thanks to his size and athleticism.
Of course, every fan wishes for McCain to come out roaring next season, but caution must not be thrown out of the window. He is coming off a pretty major injury, and his competition for minutes in the backcourt are very clearly far from being duds.
So long as Maxey has the reigns, McCain will be relegated to someone who is a less sterling version of the former. For the latter to reach his potential to the fullest, he must be detached from players of the same ilk, and the ugly truth is that he is not a perfect piece for the 76ers, but a golden additive.
Soon enough, there will come a time when the Philadelphia 76ers will have to make a tough call with respect to Jared McCain, and odds are the franchise will recognize the glaring overlaps and see him as the more expendable cog.