PHILADELPHIA — As the Philadelphia 76ers prepare for the upcoming 2025-26 season, they will hope for a bounce-back season all around from a miserable 24-58 year. The Sixers were ravaged by injuries and they were unable to fully recover from the adversity they were hit with.

Jared McCain, a rookie in the 2024-25 season, was one of those players who dealt with an injury as his season was cut short after just 23 games due to a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee. The No. 16 pick of the 2024 draft was on his way to being a Rookie of the Year candidate, but the December surgery dashed those hopes.

As McCain prepares for his second season, he discussed what his biggest adjustment to the league was as a rookie.

“I think the biggest adjustment was probably just the like, the pace was different, for sure, but a lot of it was just adjusting to the travel,” McCain said on Tuesday at the team’s new arena name reveal. “Like, just, there’s so many games, and, I mean, I only played 23 I think so it was like, in those short time, I was like, we’re traveling, back to backs. So I got to get used to that.”

In terms of his second season, McCain is hoping to build off the strong showing he had as a rookie when he averaged 15.3 points and shot 38.3% from deep in the 23 games he played in. In terms of a return, he did say there isn’t exactly a timetable at the moment, but he is close.

“I think right now, it’s just kind of taking it day by day,” said McCain. “I’m getting on-court, doing a lot of stuff, a lot of live stuff, but I still have to talk to them about exactly if I’m free for everything, but I’m definitely getting there.”

While no official date for the start of training camp has been announced just yet, McCain said the plan is for him to participate in camp. That has to be a sign that he should be ready to go for when the season begins on Oct. 22 in Boston.

“Yeah, my plan, for sure, is to participate,” he added. “I mean, anything can happen, but for right now, I’m on pace, and I’m doing great for that.”

The Sixers have to hope that McCain will be ready to go to help the team bounce back in the 2025-26 season. This team is talented as ever on paper, but they need a little bit of luck in the health department to get back on track.