PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers sent second-year guard Jared McCain to the G League recently in an effort to help him find his rhythm and get his conditioning going in the right direction. He played two games with the Delaware Blue Coats and played 20 minutes in both games to help get going again.
The Sixers then brought him back up to try and find a spot in the rotation again. He played five minutes in the first half of Monday’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers, but he didn’t look great in that short stint while not receiving a look in the second half.
It’s tough for McCain to really find his rhythm in these short stints and make an impact, but he knows it’s all a part of the process. He is looking to just take things slowly and get after it when his number is called.
“Yeah, it’s pretty tough,” McCain explained. “It’s just, you’re just trying to get back to how you used to play, and certain things are different, and so you’re trying to get used to that as well, and find the flow within the game, but I know it’ll come.”
A big thing for McCain right now is to find a way to effectively play next to guys like Quentin Grimes and VJ Edgecombe–two guys he hadn’t played with in his career. The only way that is going to change is with more reps with those players. It is coming along in McCain’s eyes, but there is still work to be done as he hasn’t scored yet in the four games he has played with the Sixers.
“Yeah, it’s going good,” McCain said of playing with Edgecombe and Grimes. “I mean, they’re elite players, so just knowing their strengths, knowing what they what they go to, and trying to build off of that, and also use my strengths and to help with them, getting buckets and me as well.”
One has to wonder if the Sixers will consider sending McCain back to the G League to help him get some extended run, but coach Nick Nurse said that isn’t under consideration as of Tuesday’s practice.
