Copyright The Philadelphia Inquirer
CHICAGO — About an hour before the 76ers tipped off against the Chicago Bulls, Jared McCain pulled out two keepsakes at his locker. One was a green crystal, which is often associated with growth and abundance. The other was a “Positive Potato” emotional support knit figurine, featuring this message: “I may be a tiny potato, but I believe in you. Go do your thing!” That McCain brought those items to the United Center Tuesday was more than understandable. After recovering from knee and thumb surgeries, the promising 21-year-old guard played in an NBA game for the first time in nearly 11 months. And though his modest stat line — zero points on 0-for-4 shooting, two assists, one rebound in 15 minutes — became a subplot when the Sixers blew a 24-point lead in their 113-111 loss to the Bulls, it was still a celebratory milestone for the player who was an early Rookie of the Year frontrunner prior to those serious injuries. “It’s a lot of emotion,” McCain said after the game. “ … I’m just glad to be out there. I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since I played basketball.” » READ MORE: Sixers takeaways: Nick Nurse’s offense takes a step back, Jared McCain will be just fine despite sluggish play and more McCain’s return became imminent when he was listed as probable to play against the Bulls on Monday night’s injury report, then upgraded to available Tuesday afternoon. But he knew medical clearance could be on the way when the Sixers traveled to Brooklyn for a Sunday matchup against the Nets. He barely slept the night before his scheduled visits from both surgeons. When each gave their green light, he immediately sent a text message to his mother, Jina, to finalize travel plans to Chicago. Two friends also jumped on the trip. “It didn’t feel real,” McCain said before Tuesday’s game. “It still don’t really feel real.” Throughout the day, McCain attempted to remain “chill” yet embrace the excitement. During his morning visualization routine, he went back through moments in his rehab “that people don’t see, and a lot of people don’t know about,” he said. He referred to last season’s notes to jog his memory about his game day routine, which includes journaling, a longer nap, and his shooting time. He was on the United Center floor by 4:40 p.m., stretching on the iconic Bulls center-court logo. But he needed extra time in the locker room for the training staff to tape his hand, and accidentally missed chapel. “I’ve got to figure this out slowly,” he said. Cheers from Sixers fans peppering the home crowd surfaced when McCain checked in for the first time late in the opening quarter. Teammates rose to their feet when he fired a corner three-pointer directly in front of the bench, which bounced off the rim. So did a turnaround jumper attempt in the lane after backing down Tre Jones. McCain particularly lamented misfiring on a wide-open deep shot off a Joel Embiid pass, saying “I wanted to make that one.” Later, McCain got blocked by Dalen Terry when he tried to create space for a pull-up jumper. “I know the shot’s going to go in,” said McCain, who made 38.3% of 5.8 three-point attempts per game last season and shot 41.4% from deep during his one college season at Duke. “I’m not too worried about any of that.” McCain said he felt well-conditioned Tuesday, though acknowledged NBA game speed is difficult to replicate in workouts. He most needed to adjust to wearing a leg sleeve over his knee brace, which hinders mobility. He also played with a more flexible hand brace, though even the slightest impediment could mess with a shooter’s meticulous mechanics. » READ MORE: Quentin Grimes flips season of uncertainty into steady role as sixth man and Sixers closer Coach Nick Nurse thought McCain moved well on the court, and “played pretty confidently and played hard” despite the obvious rust. McCain is eager to continue building chemistry with the rest of the Sixers’ potent backcourt, already getting minutes Tuesday alongside Tyrese Maxey, Quentin Grimes, and VJ Edgecombe in various three-guard looks. While reintegrating, Maxey stressed that the Sixers still want McCain to be himself. “We know what he can do, so shoot the ball,” Maxey said after the game. “There were a couple times he passed up a few shots and put the ball on the floor. We know he can do that, as well, but we want him to be confident. We want him to shoot threes. We want him to go out there, to play with pace, and have fun.” Before the mid-December knee surgery, McCain averaged 15.3 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 23 games of a terrific start to his NBA career. That he initially went in to be evaluated for a possible concussion — he hit his head on the court during a Dec. 13 home game against the Indiana Pacers — but came out with a season-ending torn meniscus became a cruel-yet-perfect encapsulation of a 2024-25 Sixers season where disaster seemingly struck at every turn. He spent months rehabbing his way back to full-contact work but, in a “fluke” days before training camp began, tore a thumb ligament when he moved in to defend a player rolling to the basket. Embiid, who has slogged through numerous injury recoveries, encouraged McCain to remain positive while balancing the enthusiasm to be back on the floor with the frustrations of missing shots. “You’ve just got to be patient,” Embiid told McCain. “Keep thinking about the right stuff.” During the Sixers’ late-night flight to Cleveland, McCain expected to further mentally process that he actually played basketball again. He was unsure if he would suit up Wednesday against the Cavaliers, on the second night of a back-to-back. When asked about broader next steps, McCain said “just get out there again and do my best. That’s pretty much all it is now.” And tucked behind his locker chair following Tuesday’s celebratory return to the court? The Positive Potato. “I’m just grateful,” McCain said. “I always come back to that word.”
