Wednesday was apparently Make Fun Of The Sixers For The Jared McCain Trade Day.
On Tuesday, the Sixers got absolutely shellacked at home by the San Antonio Spurs. Meanwhile, Jared McCain and Isaiah Joe were the two leading scorers for the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder in their road win over the rebuilding Chicago Bulls.
That contrast was on full display Wednesday, as three national NBA writers decided to drop columns about McCain on the same day.for the rationale they used to justify the McCain trade. He also castigated them for trying to pretend that the trade wasn't motivated by—what else?— "What the pick also won't do is count toward the Sixers' salary cap this season, which is of course the real reason Morey was selling at the deadline," Ziller wrote. "He traded McCain for a pick and waived Eric Gordon to avoid his billionaire bosses paying the luxury tax once they converted Dominick Barlow and Jabari Parker off of two-ways. Being in the tax also restricts roster flexibility going forward, but I haven't seen a convincing argument that this would have caused near-term issues for the Sixers specifically. So what it appears has happened is that Morey's bosses told him to avoid the tax and Morey is laundering such a move as smart and sophisticated.""You have Embiid, still one of the 15 best players on the planet when he’s healthy, in the final chapter of his prime, a closing window, and your response is to pinch pennies to avoid the luxury tax? The luxury tax that exists specifically for a contending situation? Indefensible doesn’t even cover it. It’s awful for the fans, and it’s awful for Embiid, who has given everything he has to this city, played through injuries, and watched the franchise nickel-and-dime itself time and time again." KOC didn't stop there, though. He blasted Nick Nurse and the Sixers' coaching staff for not maximizing McCain this year, too. "He’s playing with a freedom that was nowhere to be found this year in Philly," O'Connor wrote. "You can see it every single time he touches the ball." According to O'Connor, McCain has already logged 21 dribble handoffs in his 11 games with Thunder this season. He had eight in 37 games with the Sixers. He's also "running 6.8 pick-and-rolls per game in OKC, up from the 4.4 he ran with the Sixers this season ." "They put him in situations built around his strengths," O'Connor wrote. "Nurse, by contrast, shrunk McCain by limiting his actions, turning a promising young guard into a passive role player." Since joining the Thunder, McCain is averaging 12.5 points while shooting 48.5% overall and 43.1% from deep. Prior to the trade, he averaged only 6.6 points per game while shooting 38.5% overall and 37.8% from deep."It was weird emotions," McCain told Fischer. "I’m crying and he's telling me I’m traded and I’m telling players on the bus and hugging guys goodbye. I had no clue at all." Neither did many of the league's preeminent newsbreakers. Fischer wrote that he and longtime NBA insider Marc Stein hadn't heard McCain's name "circulating on the NBA rumor mill" leading up to the trade deadline. However, he did say that "the word making the rounds about the Sixers was that Daryl Morey's group wasn't sure if the current team was close enough to true contention in the East to warrant a significant midseason trade splurge." Paul George's 25-game suspension couldn't have helped in that regard, although it did make it far more realistic for them to duck the luxury tax for the fourth straight season. Regarding Morey's infamous "sell-high" quote, McCain told Fischer that he didn't think Morey "meant any harm from it. I just kind of take it as: That’s his job. And if he feels that’s the best decision , then that’s his decision. But obviously I’m gonna have confidence in myself.""The vibe already emanating from the Thunder is that they believe he'll be part of their ambitious group for some time," Fischer wrote.Bryan Toporek has been covering the Sixers for the past 15-plus years at various outlets, including Liberty Ballers, Bleacher Report, Forbes Sports and FanSided. Against all odds, he still trusts the Process.How Jimmy Butler’s Injury Will Affect This Year’s NBA Trade Deadline
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