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NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS — Jared McCain was anxious to meet Joel Embiid after being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers. Those nerves are a thing of the past now. The superstar's first impression of the rookie was a spectacular one, as he called him “our best player” on the court during training camp.
In an appearance on Paul George's podcast in August, McCain revealed he hadn’t yet talked to Embiid, saying he was “a little nervous” to meet the face of the franchise he was set to join. With training camp almost over, the first-round pick out of Duke feels good about the connection he's forming with the superstar big man.
“It's a great relationship to start out. He's really cool,” McCain said of Embiid. “Been nothing but nice to me…It's just cool building a relationship with one of the best players in the league.”
Embiid may be gracious to his new teammate but he's also not letting him get off on anything easy. “This ain't college, rook,” McCain remembers Embiid telling him when he came to a two-step stop that was legal under NCAA rules but not NBA rules. For a hard worker like McCain — a “scrapper,” as 76ers head coach Nick Nurse called him — he wouldn’t want it any other way.
“It's been amazing getting to know everybody,” McCain said. “I’m getting more comfortable with just playing and having the ball in my hands. Been lucky enough to be on the scout team, so I’m able to handle the ball more, take more shots without risks. I think it’s building my confidence. I'm showing the best of what I can do and getting more respect.”
Jared McCain making the most of first training camp with 76ers
Playing well against players he has watched over the years is “the best feeling” for Jared McCain. He still got a taste of being an NBA fan by watching the 76ers sign more and more players to flesh out their roster. Although he's still eager to show what he can do in a real game, he feels like he's doing everything he can do as of now.
Even for a spectacular shooter like McCain, it's a significant adjustment going from the college to the pros. The line is deeper and the defense is bigger, faster and smarter.
“What I've noticed,” McCain said, “is everyone's [6-foot-8] with a seven-foot wing span. Everybody's in the gaps but they easily can get back to you, so I've tried to extend my range.”
McCain said he has been working with assistant coach Rico Hines on shooting from even deeper to make sure he has the space to shoot. He's not changing anything mechanically, still shooting with a quick release and sound fundamentals, but he has to deploy it in situations more difficult than ever before.
In Friday's practice, Nurse drew up a play for McCain to get a game-winning shot in a scrimmage. He had them redo the play, putting more time back on the clock to give everyone another chance on the play. McCain said Nurse has “this real cool demeanor” about him and that he’s “a great guy” who sees the game in a detailed way.
“It’s been cool to pick his brain about how he sees the game,” McCain said of Nurse. “What I'm watching when we're just doing something regular, he stops all of practice to pick on one thing. It's crazy to see how he sees that one specific thing throughout all of practice. I'm excited to learn from him.”
The rookie road is never easy to travel. There will be bumps and quick turns for McCain to navigate, especially on a team where playing time for a youngster is very far from a guarantee. Nonetheless, he seems prepared to be one of the most skilled motorists on that road this season.
