Jared McCain didn’t sugarcoat the emotional hit he absorbed on the day before his second NBA season formally began.

“The universe is throwing haymakers at me,” McCain said Wednesday. “But it’s all part of the process. I’ve just got to trust that it happened for a reason.”

The Sixers’ 21-year-old guard wore a pink brace on his right thumb. After undergoing surgery to repair a torn UCL, he’s set to be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks. He said his recovery has been on pace so far. 

“I’ll get this off and have a playing brace,” McCain said. “I’ll just start passing, dribbling, doing all the steps with that. And then we’ll see from there when they let me play.”

While McCain is habitually eager to latch onto silver linings, he acknowledged the second significant injury of his professional career was devastating. 

McCain was part of the Sixers’ 5-on-5 workouts leading up to media day and felt “so close to being back” from the left lateral meniscus tear that ended his rookie year. 

“It was such a freak, stupid little thing,” he said. “Somebody was rolling to the basket and I was just tagging them. I put my hand on them and I heard it. I heard a pop and I went to the sideline. I tried to hold a basketball and tried to shoot, and my thumb moved (sideways). 

“I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m cooked.’ So I went to the training room and I was crying. I immediately started crying. It’s just so frustrating when that happens. I knew something was wrong immediately. But after a few days, I kind of calmed down. I got in a depressive state, but I was good and I’m back to my normal self now.”

McCain recalled that he cried again when he received the MRI results on his ride home. 

“I had to pull over and just relax for a little,” he said. “I called my mom, I called my psychologist, and it was tough. But we’ll be back.”

For now, McCain is a major absent piece of the Sixers’ guard-heavy, fast-paced, free-flowing vision. Tyrese Maxey, McCain, Quentin Grimes and VJ Edgecombe can all play both on and off the ball. McCain’s at home in transition and has exceptional shooting talent. 

He’s itching to join the Sixers’ young crew of guards on the court.

“All I know is I get here pretty early in the morning and he’s usually out on the court doing something,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. “And he’s continuing to have this ‘I’m not going to be denied’ attitude. … He can only do stuff left-handed, but he’s doing as much basketball stuff as he can until he’s allowed to start using his right hand. He’s conditioning as hard as he can. He’s totally engaged and involved. 

“He’s over there dying to get back on the floor. … He really, really is doing everything he possibly can to get out there and we can’t wait to have him back.”

McCain’s tried to observe closely from the sidelines and imagine himself in various scenarios. 

He also mentioned that he talks “all the time” with Edgecombe.

“Oh man, he’s the best,” McCain said of the No. 3 overall pick. “He’s the best. Obviously, his athleticism is insane. And just the way he’s able to take information and apply it to the game right away, whether it’s Coach telling him something, whether it’s Kyle (Lowry), whether it’s Tyrese. He operates at a high level. 

“He works hard and everything he wants, he’ll be able to get. … He’s a great person, too. Being able to talk to him and get to know him, he’s just a good dude.”

Eventually, barring more brutal misfortune, McCain will play alongside Edgecombe and start truly rolling on Year 2.