Jared McCain WINS in RETURN while VJ Edgecombe drops in GAME HIGH 35pts – Philadelphia 76ers Podcast
Keith and Marc react to Jared McCain’s reception upon his return to Philadelphia and talk about VJ Edgecombe’s game-high 35pts.
The Show also talks about what to expect from Paul George at his press conference today and when he returns to play Wednesday night against the Bulls.
Segment 1: McCain’s return
Segment 2: VJ’s mindset
Segment 3: PG’s return set for Wednesday
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16 Comments
YEAH MAN I LIKE MCCAINE BUT HE DID'NT PLAY ENOUGH GAMES FOR A VIDEO TRIBUTE….
You guys were expecting 20 pts or more (he was given 25 minutes), but only got 13, but won't admit being wrong (lol).
Yes, I'll concede that McCain is more productive than Cam Payne, but Payne only costs 0.72 M for rest of season, and satisfies what Sixers needed (just be the 4th guard without complaining, and accept being a play making point guard). McCain still thinks he's a shooting guard who needs to get his shots.
For McCain to survive in the NBA, he will have to accept the role of a playmaker, who makes others better.
As I have stated elsewhere, there are about 5 reasons why Morey made the McCain and would do it again.
Morey may have regretted letting Isaiah Joe go, but NO WAY he regrets the McCain trade.
Don't look now, but the HOU pick is #21 after HOU lost to CHI.
Which is another reminder that Sixers better not take CHI lightly.
Health is the biggest factor in how good an opponent is.
I was there last night they were sorely missing grimes. Hey on the bright side of things they hung on to the 7th spot. Let’s get some dubs vs Chicago and charlotte let’s go 💪
Keith I thought the same thing last night about your rockstars comment. The place was jam packed
It is a TOTAL FABRICATION that people like Keith and the McCain Fanboys kept saying that McCain was THE RUNAWAY ROOKIE OF THE YEAR last year.
McCain may be the around the 12th best player of the 2024 draft class, right now, even with his hot 3 pt shooting with OKC included.
The only reason McCain was at the time of his knee injury, at the top of many rookie of the year lists, was that the Sixers roster was so depleted, he got a chance to "run" the team and play big minutes. And I have made the correlation with McCain playing better when he had more minutes, both last season and this season. But if McCain's 3 pt shooting should drop to below say 38% he becomes a negative, due to his inability to defend or jump.
Stephon Castle was still coming off the bench at that time last year. Castle is in another class over McCain.
There is ZERO chance that McCain would have received Rookie of the Year over Castle, even if McCain continued with that pitiful Sixers roster.
With Ajay Mitchell and Jaylen Williams back, its going to be tough for McCain to average more than 12 minutes per game in competitive games for the rest of the season. And if his 3 pt shooting drops, he could be out of the post season rotation (except for garbage time).
The truth is that there were about 5 reasons why McCain was traded (satisfying getting below the Tax was maybe the 5th reason but fans and some media don't accept that), including that he likely would have asked to be traded (would have been traded low) in the off season. McCain wasn't happy being the distant 4th guard on the roster. FACT: Maxey, Grimes and VJ >> McCain, but McCain felt he deserved starter minutes, in part because all his Fanboys and some in the media kept telling everyone that falsehood.
That McCain at his age has his own psychologist, should have been a red flag, to something going on beyond the court in his life.
Morey and Nurse very likely know things that are not public, and may never become public – specifically that McCain needed to be praised all the time to avoid getting depressed.
McCain was becoming a distraction to Nick Nurse, IMO, as every time he didn't get much playing time, Nurse was being blamed by the Fanboys and some in the media. The truth is that Nurse didn't play McCain because he values defense from guys like Grimes (who BTW has been better since the McCain trade). The NBA is also learning that McCain is a "blocked shot waiting to happen", every time he drives to the basket (we saw Barlow demonstrate last night).
McCain is better off in OKC, where they don't need him for defense, and on offense he has more targets to give assists, and is not going to be the focus to defend (that is more open 3s.). However, as I have warned, if OKC is fully healthy going into the post season (Ajay and Jaylen Williams should be back), his playing time should drop, and in the past his shooting % has dropped with less playing time. He might not even be in the post season rotation, although he'll still get lots of garbage time play.
*Unpopular Opinion*: I think the Sixers should have Moved on from either Joel or PG and invested in J-Mac …
when the big 3 comes back, I hope V.J. has the balls to tell them to "give me the ball and the get the f#%* out of my way"
I disagree with Keith about Sixers not giving McCain a chance to be fully healthy, but now he is.
Keith keeps citing this 18 month timeline to full recovery, without specifying the surgery. Each surgery and case is independent of others. There is no such universal 18 month rule and the eye test proves it didn't apply to McCain.
Grok has 6-9 months as return to play after a full lateral meniscus tear. McCain had surgery on Dec 17, 2024 and returned to play on Nov. 4, 2025 (almost 11 months later) with a heavey knee brace as well as a soft thumb brace. I argued that was too soon, but the McCain fanboys wanted him back (as did ownership who was using him for promotion) and the medical staff went along, since Jared agreed to those braces.
The reason I disagree with Keith, is that McCain was playing better by the middle of December (his braces were no longer needed) than he was in the middle of January 2026, when he received many DNPs. And my eye test didn't suggest he was moving any better in 2026 than he was after mid-December 2025.
His ball handling was excellent in mid-December 2025, which is a better indicator of recovery than looking at his 3-pt shooting. 3-pt shooting is much more affected by playing time and other mental considerations (confidence). McCain is moving the same in OKC as he was with the Sixers, but he was getting more playing time, and is being left open more, because OKC is a better team.
Tribute video?! For a second year player?! HOF’s get tribute videos!
Another reason McCain was traded was because Morey/Nurse believed it would make Grimes more effective. And they were indeed correct, as Grimes was behaving way too unselfishly ever since McCain was getting significant playing time. Grimes had also been following the bad advice of Nick Nurse, who wanted him to take more 3s (and not midrange) even though he was heavily covered and they weren't falling. More recently, Grimes is finally taking more high percentage 2s. There was never any room for McCain, if he wasn't going to accept the role that Cam Payne is performing right now, for about 1/6th the cost.
Dude did absolutely NOTHING in this league to warrant any type of tribute. L Sixers and Sixers media
Marc glazin a 4th guard on the team is nasty work. Da MF had to go.
#wewantcamthomas
Just stop it. J Mack should have never been traded! Fire Morey
Philadelphia sixers still need more help, Maxey need help, We need more size and better shooters, Please make the team better for the fans and city 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥