Sixers' McRae says he belongs in the NBA
Jordan McRae was asked Friday where he expects to play in the fall. The swingman knows the 76ers could stash him overseas for the second consecutive season. But they could also put him on their 15-man NBA roster.
Jordan McRae was asked Friday where he expects to play in the fall.
The swingman knows the 76ers could stash him overseas for the second consecutive season. But they could also put him on their 15-man NBA roster.
"I would say I would be here," McRae said after the Sixers' morning summer league minicamp session. "Me just being here with the guys in the summer, and the relationships with the coaches and players and stuff, I think it will help me out a lot."
Daily workouts at the Sixers headquarters at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine are beneficial. However, the 24-year-old knows another solid summer-league showing could go a long way.
McRae was scheduled only to play for the Sixers in the NBA Summer League from July 10-20 in Las Vegas. But with a spot available, he was informed Wednesday night that he would also be playing in the Utah Jazz Summer League, which runs from Monday through Thursday in Salt Lake City.
Due to travel scheduling conflicts, he missed Thursday morning's first minicamp practice. However, he participated in Thursday's evening workout. And he made a name for himself, breaking one of the backboards on a dunk before a recent practice. "I'm the modern-day Darryl Dawkins, now," said the 6-foot-6, 185-pounder. "I might be the skinniest guy to ever break the backboard."
McRae was known as a scorer during his four-year career at Tennessee. Last summer, the San Antonio Spurs selected him 58th overall and traded him on draft night to the Sixers.
He averaged 21 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in the 2014 NBA Summer League. But he signed with Melbourne United of the Australian National Basketball League while the Sixers retained his rights. McRae averaged 19.9 points in 27 games in Australia. After the season, he averaged 18.4 points for the Delaware 87ers, the Sixers NBA Development League affiliate.
"I practiced at the point a lot this summer," McRae said. "And I'm playing some point here. It's known that I can score. But I think me being a playmaker - a lot of people don't know that. And I think I'm a lot better [this year] on defense."
Embiid sighting
Joel Embiid watched Friday morning's minicamp. Afterward, the rookie center was spotted dribbling a basketball on the sidelines and later having a discussion with assistant coach Billy Lange at midcourt.
The Sixers are expected to make a decision about the 7-footer's immediate future as early as next week.
The Cameroonian is having doctors evaluate the latest setback in the healing of his right foot.
The team announced last month that Embiid had a setback in his recuperation. The 2014 first-round draft pick from Kansas missed what would have been his rookie season after undergoing surgery last June to repair a stress fracture in the navicular bone in his right foot.
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