PHILADELPHIA — The 2024-25 season was a miserable one for the Philadelphia 76ers. Expected to contend for a championship, the Sixers went a miserable 24-58 as injuries decimated the roster and ruined any chance they had at contention.
Jared McCain was one of those players derailed by an injury as he underwent surgery in December to repair a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee. He was limited to only 23 games following a promising start to the season when he averaged 15.3 points and shot 38.3% from deep which would have put him in the running for Rookie of the Year.
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As he heads into his second season, McCain is ready to put a trying rookie year behind him and look to get the Sixers back on track as he is easily motivated.
“I mean, you use anything as motivation as we can,” McCain explained. “I mean, literally, anything I can, whether it’s that I didn’t win an award that I wanted to win. I wasn’t on a team that I wanted to win. Just using anything I can for your motivation.”
As he prepares for his second go-around in the NBA, McCain is motivated to get back on the court and give the Sixers some production. He was sorely missed in the 2024-25 season as Philadelphia needed somebody who could step up and provide scoring from the perimeter. In his rookie season, McCain showed an ability to knock down an open 3 while also getting into the paint and making things happen for this offense.
There isn’t a timeline yet for his return, but he did say that he is feeling good in an effort to get back healthy for the Sixers.
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“I’m feeling amazing, man,” he smiled. “I’m getting back to more live play, getting on-court more. Just excited to finally be free, and actually get some work in and play some basketball.”
If the Sixers can get a healthy and motivated McCain for the new season, then they are going to be in great shape, surrounding their star trio with a strong supporting cast.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Jared McCain talks motivations as he preps for new season with Sixers