The Philadelphia 76ers were extended another major injury blow by the basketball gods this week—like they needed any more such news. Rookie standout Jared McCain will miss time for the 76ers due to a lower-body injury from Friday’s loss to the Indiana Pacers. It was a disappointing development for the first-year player out of Duke.
76ers To Be Without Standout ROTY Candidate Indefinitely
The Philadelphia 76ers Rookie Jared McCain Suffers Heartbreaking Injury
McCain’s injury was initially left knee soreness during the game against the Pacers. On Saturday, an MRI confirmed that the injury was a torn meniscus. It was also coincidentally the same night Joel Embiid left with his own injury—a sinus fracture, of all things. McCain, who is in the middle of an outstanding rookie season, will be out of the lineup indefinitely. The report comes from the 76ers organization.
The loss will hurt the Sixers due to McCain’s surprising presence and production, who was only 23 games into his young NBA career. McCain averaged 15.3 points per game while shooting 46% from the floor while playing 25 minutes a night. He proved to be NBA-ready from the start and earned an early spot as a frontrunner in this year’s Rookie of the Year award race. In addition to his double-digit points per game input, he contributed with 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He was also shooting an impressive 38.1% from beyond the arc. McCain was in line with other standout rookies this season, such as San Antonio Spurs point guard Stephon Castle, who has also proved to be NBA-ready.
McCain needs surgery for his meniscus tear, so there is no telling if he’ll return this season. Unfortunately, this development is just another dark smudge on a woeful Philadelphia season. Considering that Embiid is also injured again, the Sixers’ season is far from looking up.
Injuries May Have Buried the Sixers Weeks Ago
Over the course of three weeks, we’ve seen the Milwaukee Bucks come back to life, and they’re playing their best basketball. At one point, the Bucks were joined by the 76ers at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. While one squad pulled themselves out of the mud, the other remains stuck. Unlike the Bucks, who were mostly just playing lousy basketball, injuries have mostly killed the Sixers. Embiid will again be out for a lengthy absence. With their new slew of injuries, it’s hard to imagine Philly replicating what Milwaukee has done. In other words, the 76ers rash of injuries may have buried their season weeks ago before it could ever really begin.
Their hole was dug early and deep. When Embiid returned on December 8th, he put up a 31-point performance against the Chicago Bulls. He looked like the dominant center we all know. The Sixers were then off until Friday night—five days later, and just like that, Embiid was out again with the injury to his face. These guys cannot catch a break, and watching it all unfold is sad. It might be time to admit that this season appears finished. The 76ers experiment with bringing Paul George into the Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey fold may never have a legitimate chance to take off this season. Even worse—Jared McCain, the promising, exciting young rookie, is now on ice. His first year in the NBA hits its own disappointing roadblock.
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