Will Jared McCain Start for 76ers vs Grizzlies With Tyrese Maxey Back?

Tyrese Maxey is back. Will Jared McCain start for the 76ers?

Nov 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (0) dribbles the ball in front of Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia 76ers are under plenty of pressure on Wednesday night. Heading into their matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Sixers have found themselves in a tough spot.

Monday night’s matchup against the Miami Heat sparked a reality check. Despite the Sixers leading by double-digits in the first half, they ended up allowing the Heat to complete a comeback. Philly lost by nearly 20 points to collect their fourth loss in a row.

After the game, the Sixers held a meeting in the locker room, which sparked players voicing their concerns about several factors that could be holding them back.

Nobody expected the Sixers to begin the 2024-2025 NBA season like this. After a productive offseason, the Sixers were viewed as one of the biggest threats to the Boston Celtics, who are defending a title in 2024-2025. So far, the Sixers have had as much success as the rebuilding Washington Wizards.

The Sixers have just one win in the last ten games. Although they haven’t had a chance to see their All-Star trio of Paul George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey in action, all three players have had a stint so far. The Sixers won one game with Maxey while missing George and Embiid. Their other win came when Maxey and Embiid were both out. The two games needed overtime to settle the score.

On Wednesday, the Sixers are set to take on the shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies. Their opponent’s injury report is headlined by the All-Star Ja Morant. A win for Philly would help them climb out of a four-game hole. A loss would cause them to dig even deeper after a slow start to the season.

Nov 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) drives past Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama (7) during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

76ers Starting Lineup vs Grizzlies

• Tyrese Maxey

• Jared McCain

• Caleb Martin

• Paul George

• Joel Embiid

For the first time, the Sixers will roll out the trio of Maxey, George, and Embiid. With Maxey returning from a hamstring strain, he resumes his role in the 76ers’ starting lineup.

While the rookie Jared McCain saw his playing time increase in the absence of Maxey, he played well enough to make a case to stick around in the rotation and the starting five for now.

The Sixers and the Grizzlies are scheduled to tip at 8 PM ET.