For Jared McCain, it's been an eternity since he could say with certainty that tonight would be different. For a player whose meteoric rise to the top of the NBA Rookie of the Year Award race was suddenly and drastically halted last December when he suffered a season-ending torn meniscus, his struggles in 2025-26 have been more pronounced than anticipated.
A night like Tuesday, when McCain scored 17 points on just eight shot attempts and made five of six long-range tries, seemed inconceivable only months ago. His season debut in early November was a harbinger of things to come – he went scoreless that night in Chicago, and his play has been marred by inconsistency for over two months.
The Sixers' head coach, Nick Nurse, had grown tired of McCain's struggles, opting not to give him more playing time as the team reached full strength. But on Monday's disastrous game against Charlotte, where the Hornets trailed by over 50 points at one point, McCain finally found his rhythm. He connected on four triples in garbage time, a performance that Nurse described as "tough" but also a sign of hope for McCain.
That glimmer of hope has since materialized into something more. On Tuesday's win over Milwaukee, McCain followed up Monday's tease with his best performance of the season – 17 points on eight shot attempts and five of six long-range attempts. For the second day in a row, he'd knocked down four threes in the fourth quarter, this time against a team fighting for its life.
McCain's teammates have noticed his struggles, but they've also been there to support him when he needed it most. Justin Edwards said, "That's Jared McCain, man – everybody knows who he is." With Quentin Grimes sidelined due to an ankle sprain, Nurse had no choice but to turn to McCain as the team's third guard on Tuesday.
For McCain, this newfound confidence is tied to his ability to play off Joel Embiid, a player that defense tends to gravitate towards. When Embiid and Tyrese Maxey played together for much of the third quarter, they were able to find a spark in McCain. Paul George said it felt like McCain was "in his comfort zone" on Tuesday, and that he's been working tirelessly to improve.
McCain has acknowledged making slight changes to his approach, including longer stints and focusing on his breathing habits to stay present in the moment. But whatever sparked this newfound form, Tuesday's heater got him looking and feeling like himself again – a palpable lift for both McCain and the team.
A night like Tuesday, when McCain scored 17 points on just eight shot attempts and made five of six long-range tries, seemed inconceivable only months ago. His season debut in early November was a harbinger of things to come – he went scoreless that night in Chicago, and his play has been marred by inconsistency for over two months.
The Sixers' head coach, Nick Nurse, had grown tired of McCain's struggles, opting not to give him more playing time as the team reached full strength. But on Monday's disastrous game against Charlotte, where the Hornets trailed by over 50 points at one point, McCain finally found his rhythm. He connected on four triples in garbage time, a performance that Nurse described as "tough" but also a sign of hope for McCain.
That glimmer of hope has since materialized into something more. On Tuesday's win over Milwaukee, McCain followed up Monday's tease with his best performance of the season – 17 points on eight shot attempts and five of six long-range attempts. For the second day in a row, he'd knocked down four threes in the fourth quarter, this time against a team fighting for its life.
McCain's teammates have noticed his struggles, but they've also been there to support him when he needed it most. Justin Edwards said, "That's Jared McCain, man – everybody knows who he is." With Quentin Grimes sidelined due to an ankle sprain, Nurse had no choice but to turn to McCain as the team's third guard on Tuesday.
For McCain, this newfound confidence is tied to his ability to play off Joel Embiid, a player that defense tends to gravitate towards. When Embiid and Tyrese Maxey played together for much of the third quarter, they were able to find a spark in McCain. Paul George said it felt like McCain was "in his comfort zone" on Tuesday, and that he's been working tirelessly to improve.
McCain has acknowledged making slight changes to his approach, including longer stints and focusing on his breathing habits to stay present in the moment. But whatever sparked this newfound form, Tuesday's heater got him looking and feeling like himself again – a palpable lift for both McCain and the team.
, dude was on fire last night! Eight shot attempts and five of six long-range tries is insane 
, and his teammates are totally noticing it too 
Justin Edwards saying he's back to being "Jared McCain" man - that's all we need to know 
. And I'm loving the chemistry between him and Embiid, they're like two peas in a pod 
. Coach Nurse made the right move giving him more playing time, now it's just about him staying focused 
...this could be big for the Sixers this season! 
he was down, but he's back up!!! his performance on tuesday was insane 17 points on just 8 shot attempts and 5 of 6 threes 
and his teammates are super supportive they've got each other's backs and that's what matters most 
the fact that nick nurse is giving him more playing time is also a win win for mccain and the sixers coach 
. One night of decent shooting doesn't mean he's suddenly found his mojo again. The guy's been in a rut for months and now he's just bouncing back? It's just too convenient. And what's with all the emphasis on him playing off Embiid? That's just a crutch, if you ask me 
. He needs to find his own form before he can rely on anyone else to carry him through games. Mark my words, this is just a flash in the pan 
. i'm not buying the "oh he found his rhythm" narrative yet. it sounds like nick nurse finally gave mccain some decent minutes and his teammates are stepping up to support him. let's see how long this newfound confidence lasts 
I don't get why coaches keep giving him minutes when he's not playing well, maybe it's because of the hype around him? and honestly, i think his 'newfound confidence' is just him trying harder in games, who doesn't try harder with all eyes on them? 
. When his season was on the line, he found a way to push through the pain and uncertainty. It's like our minds have this capacity to adapt and evolve, even when we're not sure if we can take another step forward 
. And I love how his teammates are so supportive – it just goes to show that having people who believe in us can make all the difference 
. But what's really interesting is how McCain's newfound confidence is tied to playing off Joel Embiid... it makes me think about how sometimes, we need others to help us find our own rhythm and flow 
.
the way he was knocking down threes in garbage time is insane 
and let's be real, having qutinn grimes out with an ankle sprain wasn't doing him any favors 
but seriously, it's great to see the team rallying around mccain when he needs it most, that Justin Edwards quote is everything "that's jared mccain, man" 
. It's crazy how one game can turn everything around for him - on Monday against Charlotte, he just clicked and then Tuesday against Milwaukee was the icing on the cake. I'm not sure what changed, but it looks like he's working hard to improve and that's paying off 
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Dude, it's about time Jared McCain found his groove! The guy's been struggling since he came back from that injury and it was starting to look like his season was donezo. But last night's performance? 
I think the extra playing time paid off, coaches giving him more minutes really helped him get into a rhythm. His breathing habits are also super smart move, mental game is as important as physical one in basketball 
I'm telling you, something fishy is going on with this Jared McCain guy. He was down and out after that injury, and now he's just... out of nowhere? 
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I'm onto you, NBA teams! 
. But here's the thing, he didn't give up 
!
just read that Jared McCain is back on track after struggling all season! I was worried he'd never get his mojo back 
but it sounds like he's finally found his rhythm 
. His teammates are super supportive too, which is awesome 
. Seriously though, this is great news for the Sixers - they really need a spark like McCain to help them make a push for the playoffs