76ers Magic Jared McCain

The Nightmare Continues: 76ers fall flat in Orlando, drop to 2-10 on the season and 0-2 in the NBA Cup

The Philadelphia 76ers’ nightmare season continued Friday night as they fell to the Orlando Magic 98-86, slipping to a woeful 2-10 on the season and 0-2 in the NBA Cup. Despite flashes of brilliance from rookie Jared McCain, the team couldn’t muster enough offense down the stretch to steal a win on the road.

It’s been an absolute nightmare watching the 76ers season through the first 12 games of the season. Sure, there are some glimmers of hope courtesy of our TikTok-dancing Rookie of the Year frontrunner Jared McCain and our thicc French sniper Guerschon Yabusele draining threes like it’s nothing but outside of that? Lord hear our prayer.

But after 11 games of this mess, and more mental breakdowns over NBA basketball in November our group chat, my brother told me to channel my chaotic energy into something productive and share my thoughts on The Liberty Line.

Basically, if this recap feels as messy as a Nick Nurse late-game rotation (an incoherent shit show), just know Drew is fully to blame for unleashing this madness.

Jared McCain is Prime Steph Curry in the Flesh

Jared McCain might honestly be the Philadelphia 76ers best draft pick in franchise history and really, the only reason to currently watch this basketball. Even while the the 76ers look like complete ass, McCain still managed to drop 29 points, including a jaw-dropping 15 in the third quarter. He even added four assists before fouling out with just under five minutes left.

The 76ers were still within striking distance when McCain exited, trailing 84-80, but any hope evaporated after that. McCain is the first rookie to make at least three three-pointers in five consecutive games since Allen Iverson dropped six in a row back in April 1997.

Calling Jared McCain Prime Steph Curry might be a stretch but please, it’s literally all we have right now so let me vent. I’m very well aware that it’s the frustration talking, but this kid truly has me ready to sell my soul (and data) to the Chinese Commies so I will have TikTok just to learn his dance routines.

At this point, if Jared McCain keeps dropping near 30 points a night, I’ll be out here painting my nails and choreographing a friendship application.

Side Note: I told Drew to tell Ryan Conway to recreate a Jared McCain TikTok after every 20+ point performance and we still have nothing? You’d think after he didn’t dance during the Phillies postseason that he would step up and shake those hips for the 76ers but still nothing? I’m not sure what happens here at TLL but this crew needs to get it together. Fast.

Joking aside, McCain’s brilliance highlights just how bad this team has been to start the regular season. Depending on a rookie in his 12th game to keep the ship from sinking is not a great look for a supposed contender.

Why is Nick Nurse making us HATE Kyle Lowry?

I mean seriously, how on Earth is Kyle Lowry still in the starting rotation? Did he help Nick Nurse hit a body somewhere in the slums of Toronto back in 2019?

Nick Nurse’s insistence on starting Kyle Lowry is… puzzling. I get that Lowry has veteran savvy, but at this stage of his career, he’s better suited for a 10-minute bench role. The man can’t create separation, struggles to dribble around defenders, and scored just four points in 28 minutes last night against the Magic.

I don’t care how washed Reggie Jackson or Eric Gordon look at this point – they give you far more on offense. Everybody can see that except Nick Nurse. Please make it stop.

Reggie had 13 points off the bench against the Cavs earlier this week and again, the 76ers are more desperate than for scoring than the homeless on K&A.

Somebody please wake the fuck up. 14 points in the 4th quarter, 86 total. This team needs scoring, but Nick Nurse’s murder alibi is on the floor for 28 minutes and only scored 4 points.

Joel Embiid + Paul George continue disaster-class performances:

Joel Embiid and Paul George are supposed to be the foundation of this team, but they looked anything but on Friday. Sure, they’re both still shaking off rust after injuries, but six turnovers for Embiid and three for George is brutal. Embiid faded hard in the second half, going scoreless from the field, while George shot a miserable 4-for-15 from the floor.

Does not being in “game shape” make you cough the ball up half the time you get a touch? This has been Embiid’s M.O. for years and he never really comes storming out of the gate to start an NBA season so I’m still confident in a few months he’ll snap out of it and get back to his usual self.

This was supposed to be George’s big “missing piece” role. Instead, he’s been a below-average contributor, struggling to get to the rim and settling for bad shots. Embiid gets some slack because he’s Joel Embiid, but even he needs to tighten up.

Caleb Martin: What Even Was That?

Caleb Martin takes the award for worst performance of the night. Three points in 33 minutes, coupled with four turnovers? I can’t even be mad anymore; it’s just sad. Kelly Oubre Jr and Martin are meant to be the team’s role-player glue, but their streakiness is absolutely shredding my mental health.

NBA Cup Courts: One Small Victory

Shoutout to the Magic for not making their NBA Cup court look like a neon fever dream. While the tournament itself is a weird gimmick, at least I didn’t need sunglasses to watch this game. That’s a low bar, but here we are.

Solar Bears Forever

Fun fact I learned tonight: Orlando has a minor league hockey team called the Solar Bears, and their mascot is a polar bear wearing sunglasses while holding a hockey stick.

How did I just discover this masterpiece? Sorry, Lehigh Valley Phantoms—you’ve been dethroned as my favorite minor league team. (I don’t watch hockey).

76ers NBA Cup Magic Solar Bears

Final Thoughts:

Much like myself, the Philadelphia 76ers are a mess. Jared McCain’s brilliance is a silver lining, but this team is spiraling, and fast. Embiid and George need to find their groove, Nurse needs to figure out the rotations, and someone needs to gently explain to Kyle Lowry that his starting days are over. Otherwise, it’s shaping up to be a very long season.

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