Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain was taken to the hospital after taking a tumble against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. After missing a layup over Nets' forward Ziaire Williams, McCain fell backwards while reaching for the offensive rebound and landed full force on his upper back.

At first, this injury looked serious, but McCain was able to walk off the court on his own power with the Sixers medical staff. Shortly after, the team decided to take him to the hospital as a precaution just to make sure there was nothing serious going on since he was having some trouble breathing.

McCain has since been discharged from the hospital and is home resting after experiencing pulmonary contusions from his fall, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes. Essentially, McCain suffered a lung contusion due to the impact of his fall, which resulted in his difficulty breathing on Wednesday night. The 76ers will keep an eye on the rookie and re-evaluate him on Thursday for a concussion until he is experiencing no discomfort or symptoms.

Already having Paul George sidelined for the time being due to a bone bruise in his left knee, the last thing the 76ers need is another injury before opening night. The good news is that McCain's injury doesn't appear to be all that serious, and he is most likely going to be listed as day-to-day leading up to the start of the season.

Jared McCain's impact in preseason

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Throughout the preseason, McCain has been a pleasant surprise for the 76ers. The rookie guard has played in all five of Philadelphia's preseason games to this point, averaging 12.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 37.9 percent from three-point range.

Two of the biggest areas in which McCain stood out as a freshman guard at Duke last year were rebounding and scoring from the perimeter. Well, those have been McCain's two biggest strengths so far in the preseason, which is why Nick Nurse and the 76ers' coaching staff have been impressed with the rookie.

Between his toughness and eagerness to play, McCain may very well crack the early-season rotation behind Tyrese Maxey and Kyle Lowry in the backcourt. After all, if there is one thing the Sixers need, it is energy. Prior to leaving Wednesday's game with his head/chest injury, McCain had nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range, as well as seven total rebounds.

This type of production is exactly what Philadelphia will be looking for in their second unit. That is why McCain, whom nobody is really thinking about in regards to the Rookie of the Year race, could make his presence felt early on in the season.

Prior to their season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 23, the 76ers will be back in action for one final preseason game on Friday night in Orlando. It is likely that Philadelphia will hold McCain out of this matchup to give him extra time to recuperate from his fall and concussion-like symptoms.