Jared McCain seems happy playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder after his trade away from the Philadelphia 76ers. It was a puzzling move from the 76ers‘ front office because it was clear that McCain would have a bright future.
Daryl Morey felt they could sell high with McCain, but it looks like they could be regretting it already. Jared is playing well for OKC and their big men, which might also be an issue with 76ers head coach Nick Nurse.
McCain’s recent comments show the red flags with the 76ers’ system
The 76ers have been decent this season despite all the injuries they have faced. They have star players with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, but they are not consistently active because of their injury struggles.
Depth is a big part of how teams succeed in the NBA, so losing McCain was a big blow to Nurse’s system. Unfortunately, when McCain was on the 76ers, he was not used in the best way possible.
MORE: The Jared McCain trade already looks one-sided for the Thunder
Now that he is with the Thunder, McCain feels like he is the perfect fit within the system. He is working well with the Thunder’s big men, such as Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren.
“It’s crazy. When I was in Philly, Joel would do that with Tyrese, and I was like, ‘Dang, that’s really cool right there.’ So being able to be a part of it is really fun. Playing with Hart, J-Will, and Chet, they’re all elite bigs. I’m excited to play with them,” McCain said at shootaround before the Thunder’s game.
It is not a good look for Nurse because McCain is the classic example of a plug-and-play player. He proved that during his rookie season, which was cut short by an injury.
In his second season, McCain could have been a massive contributor to the 76ers’ success. Unfortunately, Nurse could not find a way to balance his roster, especially with VJ Edgecombe’s arrival and breakout.
