Rookie Jared McCain expects to watch and learn with the Sixers this season
The first-round pick has impressed his teammates with his work ethic in the preseason. He has a chance to study the game under a number of All-Star performers.
Jared McCain realizes his path to 76ers stardom requires patience.
And it has nothing to do with suffering bruised lungs in the closing minutes of Wednesday’s preseason game against the Brooklyn Nets. The guard missed the preseason finale Friday at the Orlando Magic and is being evaluated daily.
The Sixers are elated that McCain avoided serious injury.
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The 20-year-old has impressed teammates and coaches with his play throughout the preseason. But he’s an undersized rookie guard on the veteran team with a win-now approach. So minutes could be hard to come by for the sharpshooter out of Duke once the regular season begins Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The 16th overall pick in June’s NBA draft realizes he’s in a great situation, regardless of how many minutes he plays.
McCain has been all ears. He’s trying to soak up every piece of knowledge from a team loaded with current and former All-Stars and future Hall of Famers. McCain knows he wouldn’t have this type of guidance if he was selected by a lottery team higher in the draft.
Sure, McCain would have an opportunity to battle for a starting spot, but the team wouldn’t be as good. And the lessons learned from the Sixers’ diverse group of veterans could help in his quest to have a long career.
“God put you in this exact position for a reason,” McCain said. “And you accept that, and you work day in and day out. Be present in everything I do, and I know it will work out because I work.”
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Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey are reigning All-Stars. Kyle Lowry and Andre Drummond were named All-Stars in the past. Meanwhile, Embiid and George are in line to become Hall of Famers. Lowry has a solid chance of joining them in Springfield, Mass.
And McCain wowed them before his injury.
Embiid called the rookie the most impressive player during training camp. Others have praised his ability to score and make plays against the starting lineup.
McCain averaged 12.8 points and shot 37.9% on three-pointers in five preseason games. He finished with preseason highs of 20 points and three steals against the Boston Celtics on Oct. 12 at TD Garden. However, he has experienced defensive shortcomings, especially against bigger guards.
The thing is, McCain has come a long way since struggling to make shots during summer league. His improvement is a result of the countless hours he spent working on his game over the last two months.
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But McCain knows that he’ll experience ups and downs this season. For him, it’s just a matter of remaining confident while going through them.
“I’ve seen it with players,” he said. “Like when you lose confidence in yourself, no matter how talented you are, it is not going to go well. So I’ve liked when I talked to my psychologist, I’ve talked to my family, it’s always positive reinforcement. And for myself, I always give myself positive reinforcement: What I did good. Learn from what I did and try to do better.”