Even as they get guys back on the court, it is still a ramp-up process for the Sixers.
Jared McCain has been back for two games after injuring his thumb in preseason as well as still recovering from the knee injury that cut short his rookie season.
His first game back in Chicago was certainly more involved. He took four shots, two from three, and was able to pick up two assists and a rebound in 15 minutes of play. He was available for the first night of a back-to-back against the Toronto Raptors, but
did not appear as Nick Nurse did not believe the right situation arose.
He did see the floor the next night against the Detroit Pistons, but only played 8:51. He got three shots up, all on drives, and picked up an assist and a steal. While there wasn’t much of a change in his stat line, McCain thought things were getting better as he gets his legs under him.
“I feel like I’m just trying to get used to playing,” McCain said. “I feel a little bit off balance, but I feel I had a little bit better feel since the first game. I think it’s just going to take some time, but I’m getting there.”
Perhaps the biggest factor is McCain adjusting to the big bulky brace he’s playing with over his left knee. After the Pistons game he explained how he’s still figuring out what the best sleeve to wear over it is.
He feels it’s more about comfort right now rather than needing to get in game shape.
“Conditioning, I feel like I’m good, like I don’t find myself too tired,” he said. “I think it’s more just getting back. Literally just knowing when I’m going in so I can be warm for it, not getting too cold when I go to the bench, but yeah, I think it’s just going to take some time.”
He might feel in good shape, but the team wants to make sure his conditioning is right.
“This would be the second time I thought the stint in the second half conditioning-wise looked challenging for him, so we’ll just keep at it,” Nick Nurse said after the game.
As Joel Embiid has found out, it’s hard to get into any sort of rhythm playing in bursts of three-to-four minutes at a time.
“It’s tough, you know, talking to Jo about it, trying to get his feel for how he does it so well,” McCain said, “but it’s just trying to affect the game, whether it’s defense or offense, just coming in, trying to play hard — that’s what I’ve been trying to do these last two games.”
He was able to make the slightest impact that way in the first half against Detroit, poking free a pass out of Jalen Duren’s hands, leading to a Tyrese Maxey three-pointer.
The Sixers feel that this could be a long process getting McCain up to speed after missing 11 months, but they are doing everything they can to try to get him going as fast as possible.
A lot of fans freaked out when Eric Gordon checked into the game before McCain against Detroit. Nurse explained that he was timing McCain’s shift up with Maxey to help him feel more comfortable. Maxey said he tried to run a couple plays for him, but switches from Detroit made it hard for him to get free.
“I want him to get going, I know we’re going to need him,” Maxey said. “Me as a friend, a teammate, a brother, I want to see him succeed.”
As someone who’s trusted his own process and the work he’s put in his entire life, McCain knows he will get there despite current frustrations.
“It’s definitely tough though, it’s really frustrating when you feel like you prepare as much as possible but it’s just not clicking as much as you want it to,” McCain said. “But I give myself a lot of grace. I know I’ve been through a long process — again it’s almost been a year. I’m just happy to be back.”
