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PHILADELPHIA — A week after suffering a pulmonary contusion in a preseason game, Jared McCain is ready to make his NBA debut. The Philadelphia 76ers rookie feels “great” after a hard fall that hospitalized him.
“Definitely a few days where I was struggling but now I feel back to normal,” McCain said. He tried to get up after getting knocked off balance while fighting for a rebound and falling right on his back but he was in too much pain to do so. The feeling was “a little bit more” than just getting the wind knocked out, which he had experienced before.
“When I fell, I didn't feel anything in my back. It just went straight to my chest. I only felt pain in my chest,” he explained. “And when I actually got back here, they thought I hit my head but I didn't feel anything in my head. Did all concussion protocol stuff, didn't have that. It was basically just a pulmonary contusion. Just took a few days of rest but I felt like I needed [it], the universe was telling me something. I feel almost better now.”
Jared McCain cleared for 76ers' season debut vs. Bucks
The 76ers won’t have Joel Embiid or Paul George for their season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks at 7:30 P.M. EST. McCain could be an important source of offense for the Sixers. Tyrese Maxey will lead the way with the help of guys like Kelly Oubre Jr., Eric Gordon and Caleb Martin providing secondary scoring but McCain's ability to shoot and muscle his way inside provides Philly with an important sparkplug.
The fact that McCain is ready to play again so quickly is a stroke of good fortune for the 76ers. Without two of the team's biggest stars, McCain sees “an opportunity for me to showcase my talent.” He'll be staying ready to come off the bench and help Philly start its season off on the right foot.
McCain said his pregame preparation for what will likely be his NBA debut (following the Sixers' pregame shootaround) includes taking a nap, talking to his psychologist, watching some extra film and meeting with assistant coach Bryan Gates to go over the defensive game plan.
“I always try to just trust my process,” the 76ers rookie said. “Every time, I know it happened for a reason. There was a little bit [of concern], obviously — you worked so hard for this moment. But I knew I was gonna come back and if I came back, I knew I was gonna be better.”
