CLEVELAND — The Philadelphia 76ers sat Jared McCain in Wednesday’s 132-121 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on the second night of a back-to-back. When considering it was his first NBA game in nearly a year, it made sense for the Sixers to sit him as he works his way back from a surgically repaired meniscus in his left knee.
In 15 minutes of Tuesday’s loss to the Chicago Bulls, McCain went scoreless and shot 0-for-4 from the floor, but it’s important to get him back out on the floor and in an NBA game again. It’s important for him to get this type of conditioning and for the Sixers to begin to get guys back on the floor.
Before the Sixers took on the Cavs, coach Nick Nurse gave an update on McCain as Philadelphia looks to get him back on track.
“He came out fine,” Nurse said. “Now, it’s just a matter of continuing to build on that, right? I think, good to get him out there for sure. You gotta make these steps. Sometimes they throw off your rhythm or throw off what are your rotations or do whatever, but you gotta make these steps because it’s a long season with a lot of basketball to be played so you gotta go for it and we’ll just continue to try and build him up.”
Nurse is right about building him up. As Philadelphia prepares to take on the Toronto Raptors on Saturday for the first night of another back-to-back, one has to wonder how the Sixers will handle McCain and prepare him for the next step in his recovery.