The sun was shining bright in Nassau, The Bahamas, as the Sixers’ 2024 training camp entered its second day. Rookies and veterans alike graced the court, but it was rookie guard Jared McCain who stole the spotlight with his standout performance in practice.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse had high praise for McCain, stating, “His toughness level is up there, man.”
As the day progressed, various topics were discussed among the team members. Here are some intriguing insights gleaned from the post-practice conversations:
Nurse on Caleb Martin:
“First and foremost, I want him to secure possessions through defensive rebounding… We’ve had some issues rebounding missed three-point shots, and he’s got really good speed… Hopefully, he can chase. As far as the other part of it, I think we’re a team that really likes to focus on deflections, not so much steals… The collection, I think, with him and Kelly [Oubre Jr.] and [Paul George] — there’s a couple others, too — but those three, the length and athleticism they have, hopefully we can create some turnovers.”
Nurse on Tyrese Maxey:
“It’s a lot better… When we first started playing games last year, I was like, ‘uh oh, we’ve got a really long ways to go with this’… He grew really fast… He’s assumed more of that [responsibility]. Just, again, having pre-practice and post-practice, pretty high-level conversations with him about what is happening and what needs to happen and all of those things. Today, I had a really long talk with him before practice about some things I saw yesterday that I needed to see differently, and he went out there and did them today.”
The interactions continued, shedding light on players’ experiences and aspirations. Here’s a sneak peek into what was shared:
Guerschon Yabusele on blending in with new teammates:
“[Trying] to get to know everybody a little bit more… Try to build the chemistry. This is a new team for me and a bunch of guys… I want everybody to feel comfortable when I am on the court.”
Eric Gordon reflecting on his journey with KJ Martin:
“We had a young group and I was always telling him how much I played against his dad, and now we’re teammates. I kind of took him under my wing when he was younger since he stepped foot in the league. It’s good to see him grow and hopefully we can be on something special with this team this year.”
The camaraderie and mutual respect among the players shone through as they aimed for excellence on the court. With each practice session, the Sixers seemed more unified and determined to make a mark in the upcoming season.
Jared McCain impressing at Sixers training camp: ‘He’s a scrapper’
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