It takes incredibly drastic developments for any panic meter to be operational this early in the season, and with the Philadelphia 76ers touting a 7-4 win-loss card at this very juncture, it would be difficult to make a case for the franchise to even feel a sense of panic. However, there are certainly people who believe that they should be getting some of those sentiments thanks to Jared McCain.
The sophomore guard, who missed nearly an entire calendar year due to a couple of major injuries that required surgery, has mightily struggled since returning to the hardwood. He has suited up in three games so far, and in all of those outings, he failed to register a point. McCain has missed all nine of his shots and definitely looks as rusty as he can be.
The 76ers have even assigned McCain to the Delaware Blue Coats, the team’s G-League affiliate, to allow him to get some more run beyond his stringent 10-minute restriction. However, fans were also quick to notice that he still struggled with his shot therein, putting up unimpressive numbers in his lone game with the G-League squad.
To many, this is a cause for concern. But while there is some credence to those worries, the 76ers should have seen this coming from McCain.
76ers fans should not worry too much about Jared McCain’s struggles
Combo guards like McCain are, more often than not, rhythm players, and those ballers tend to go under a steeper re-learning curve when coming back from long layoffs. Really, the young, eccentric scorer is merely reeling from the effects of having not played for so long.
But aside from that, the role that the 76ers have given McCain is not one that is too forgiving for players trying to reacclimatize themselves to the speed of the game. Nick Nurse has him functioning as the nominal point guard off the bench, and while he always has a capable creator next to him, the team is still relying on him to catalyze the offense. Naturally, that is a demanding job for someone who missed an entire year.
These things, however, are easily fixable. The 76ers now have the personnel to give McCain more cushion to allow himself to struggle and fight his way through slumps and the like. But most importantly, his confidence does not appear to have been shaken. If anything, this is pretty much expected despite the overblown expectations for his much-anticipated return.
Hopefully, people will cut him some slack. Until further notice, Jared McCain is here to stay and help the 76ers be an even more lethal squad.