Jared McCain has physically healed. But he’s not rushing the on-court results.

MEMPHIS — Quelling fear, anxiety, loss of identity, and lack of confidence often takes longer than physically healing from injuries.

Jared McCain knows that firsthand after having his rookie season cut short because of a torn meniscus in his left knee. And on top of that December 2024 injury, he had the start of this season delayed after he suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb in September.

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How is the 76ers’ second-year guard dealing with the mental aspects of those injuries, particularly the left knee?

“I’m doing great, probably the last step for me,” McCain said Tuesday before shootaround at FedEx Forum. “A lot of it is I like to rebound, and I have to jump as high as I can … when I’m trying to rebound. And you know, the past few games, I’ve been able to do that. I feel comfortable doing that.

“But mentally, I’m great. I’m just trying to figure it out, still figuring it out, and it’s still a process.”

McCain still experiences knee soreness on some days but battles through because he wants to play in as many games as he can. At the same time, he’s giving himself grace while trying to have as much fun as possible.

McCain’s fun involves being part of the Sixers’ four-guard rotation with Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Quentin Grimes. Maxey and Edgecombe are the starting backcourt, while Grimes is the team’s sixth man. The Sixers view McCain as someone who comes off the bench to provide a spark.

“I want to provide a spark in any way possible, whether it’s picking up full court, whether it’s getting rebounds, making shots, of course,” he said, “any way I can provide a spark on the court when Coach calls my name, I’m ready to jump off the bench and come in the game and do whatever I can to help us get a lead or extend it.”

McCain was averaging 7.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 19.8 minutes heading into Tuesday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies. However, he was shooting just 36.2% from the field and 32.9% from three-point range.

During a six-game stretch from Dec. 12 through Friday, McCain shot 28.8% overall and 21.1% from three. But he snapped out of his shooting slump Sunday in a road loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. McCain had 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting, making 2 of 4 three-pointers.

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He’s not concerned about his shooting.

“I’m not going to fix anything or change anything with my shot,” McCain said. “It’s all going to come naturally. I know how to shoot. I’ve been doing it for a long time. I know there’s times like this. Again, I’ve been out for a whole year. So it’s still going to take some time to figure it out.

“I knocked them down forever. I’m just going to continue to shoot it.”

McCain’s confidence comes from his success as a McDonald’s All Americanand a standout at Duke, plus his status as an NBA rookie of the year front-runner last season before his injury. At every stop of his basketball career, McCain has been a stellar shooter who has dealt with and overcome shooting slumps.

“When I was doing my meditation this morning that came in my mind about not judging myself off my results,” he said. “It’s super hard to do that because this job is basically judged off your results and your performance.

“So I’m just trying to go into non-judgmental and watching it. How can I make the shots easier for myself? How can I find different windows to make the shot easier, and then just knocking it down? I know how to do it, and I think it’s one of those things that’s just going to come. It’s natural.”