Jared McCain on an Uphill Climb Following Pulmonary Contusion

The 76ers rookie has been sent home from the hospital reported Thursday morning, giving plenty a sigh of relief after a hard backwards fall against the Brooklyn Nets in a preseason bout.

Oct 16, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) reacts on the floor after being injured on a play against the Brooklyn Nets during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain suffered a hard fall in the team's second-to-last preseason contest on Wednesday — leaving him to head to the hospital where it was learned the blunt trauma from the fall caused a pulmonary contusion.

On Thursday morning, McCain was released from the hospital and is set to rest at home while not traveling with the team for its final preseason bout against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. This is a bit of a blow as the rookie sets off into his debut season in the NBA, but it is not the end all be all for the quality of his first-year campaign.

Injuries are a part of the game, and the former Duke Blue Devil experienced that on the pro level on Wednesday evening, routinely battling for a rebound before losing his footing mid air and falling directly onto his back, seemingly knocking the wind out of him and causing the pulmonary contusion. It's not necessarily his wheelhouse to be fighting for boards on the interior, but showing head coach Nick Nurse his will to provide value on the frontlines is a step forward in itself as a sharpshooting rookie vying to show his impact.

Before his injury, McCain notched the team high in scoring in two of Philadelphia's five games to that point — having 15 against the New Zealand Breakers and 20 versus the Boston Celtics. Across all five contests, McCain averaged 12.8 points on 41.7% shooting and 2.2 threes a night, illustrating his scoring acumen and ability to do it a high clip.

This is just a hiccup for a player who should be a valuable, young piece to a core who is seeking out a championship bid out of the East, as he should heal and be ready for the start of the season.

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