Jared McCain, Sixers learn tough but important lesson from loss to Celtics

BOSTON – KJ Martin got to the basket through contact and gave the 76ers the game-winning goal less than a minute into Saturday’s preseason game against the Celtics.

This advantage was short-lived as, on paper, it was an extremely one-sided exhibition game that ended with the Celtics winning 139-89 on their home floor.

The reigning NBA champions’ roster was mostly intact, with All-Star wingers (Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown) and Olympic backcourt players (Jrue Holiday and Derrick White) all available and starting. The Sixers, meanwhile, rested most of their rotation on the second night of a rare back-to-back preseason. As a result, rookie guard Jared McCain became his team’s best scorer (20 points). And fellow first-year players Adem Bona and Justin Edwards were the first Sixers off the bench. And get 10 players Jordan Tucker and Judah Mintz to come into the game before halftime.

To say it again: it was just the preseason. Still, it was a tough lesson for these young players that they “need to get into the fight a little earlier,” coach Nick Nurse said. Because even if they’re not in the full-time rotation for the Sixers’ championship hunt, which officially begins in 10 days, many of them will be needed in spurts as their team sets strategic rest days for veteran players to stay healthy and fresh for the playoffs.

“You have to teach them how hard they have to play,” Nurse said after the game. “They are young and we have to show them what it is like. But it gives them good experience against some really good players.”

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Nurse made sure to mention a few individual positives from his team’s resounding loss. Although McCain shot 1 of 8 from three-point range, taking 21 shots against the Celtics’ long and physical defenders was a plus. Edwards (nine points, three rebounds) shone as an accurate defender and impressed with clever offensive decisions. Guerschon Yabusele (eight points, three rebounds), a first-round draft pick of the Celtics in 2016 who is now getting his second NBA shot with the Sixers, remains an option as a small-ball pick-and-pop center.

But Nurse also complained that his team too often got lulled into watching Boston’s shot attempts, which led to a disastrous 60-33 rebound disparity. Edwards said he quickly noticed a noticeable increase in the Celtics’ speed and intensity, which made him think, “Oh, wow. That’s the reality.” Jeff Dowtin Jr., one of the few players Saturday with decent NBA experience, tried to keep his teammates motivated and focused as the starting point guard. McCain was impressed with how the Celtics “just consistently hit open threes” through sharp drive-and-kick execution (they made an incredible 23 of 47 attempts).

“It obviously sucks that I’m on the other side,” McCain said from his locker. “But it’s great for me to learn from it.”

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Nurse has long placed an emphasis on player development. He appeared as a G League coach. His player development program with the Toronto Raptors was well-known and helped turn Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam into All-Stars with max contracts while leading the team to the 2019 NBA title.

And the coach is still committed to it in Philly, even with a win-now veteran group. Perhaps Because of that. Embiid, who stayed away from the team on Saturday after undergoing a knee exam earlier this week, won’t be the only Sixer dealing with the strain this season. Paul George, Eric Gordon, Kyle Lowry, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson are all in their 30s.

“I would think there will be some chances (to play for them),” Nurse said.

These young players have been working together for months, from summer league to informal workouts to training camp. Now they’re trying to learn on the fly during an NBA schedule that already does just that.

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They played three preseason games in less than a week, including McCain’s first back-to-back game since AAU ball, he said. While on the phone with his mother on Saturday, Edwards told her he had already had another game that night. Between assignments, McCain analyzes film and feedback from Sixers coaches and his personal trainer and receives positive reinforcement from a psychologist.

The overall goal: get into the fight sooner. Also away against the defending champions.

“We found ourselves in a difficult situation that many players had never faced before, especially when we played for the first time,” Dowtin said. “…It was a first test for a lot of people. The game moves quickly. The crowd is there. The gym is just loud. It’s full.”

“So we’re just trying to tune out the noise, work on what we’ve been practicing since the summer and focus on those things.”

The Sixers return to preseason action against the Hawks on Monday night in Atlanta.