Pregame notes: Jared McCain progressing, Dominick Barlow undergoes procedure

Philadelphia — The Sixers will face their tallest task of this early season when they take the floor on Monday.

They'll battle the Orlando Magic - who play a bigger, more physical brand of basketball - without their starting frontcourt.

Joel Embiid will miss the game as part of the plan to manage his fragile left knee. 

There was no indication of any new injury or concern in the wake of Friday's victory over the Charlotte Hornets. The Sixers are on the first leg of a back-to-back. They have never hid the fact that they will be especially conservative with Embiid's availability in back-to-back situations. At present time, there is no reason to believe he won't be available for Tuesday's game in Washington, DC.

The size deficit becomes more complex with Dominick Barlow also missing Monday's game.

Barlow did not play in the second half of Friday's win due to a laceration on his right elbow.

The Sixers announced on Sunday that Barlow would have a procedure to address the wound today.

"I think he's had the procedure or he's having it, like, currently. I think it's happening right now. My report is they haven't finished yet," Nick Nurse told reporters ahead of Monday's game.

"You guys saw him. He was starting for us and playing the majority of the minutes at the four. It was kind of a nice fit. He was guarding tough, he was rebounding tough, he was offensive rebounding really well. Things like that. Now we just got to move on and, again, it just affects your overall depth."

Barlow will miss both legs of this Monday-Tuesday back-to-back.

The Sixers will be taxed in Monday's matchup, to say the least. But they've jumped out to a 2-0 start largely on the back of their guard play.

Still, there's one young offensive threat who has yet to enter the equation.

Jared McCain, who tore the UCL in the thumb on his shooting hand right before training camp began, was active at Monday shootaround. He looked rather comfortable shooting with his dominant hand, the first time he's done so publicly since the injury:

Jared McCain work this morning after shootaround. He’s continuing to progress in his recovery. #Sixers pic.twitter.com/YoNjTQuvpq

— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) October 27, 2025

"I think that's his second day of being out of his splint or cast that's now a smaller splint and it allows him to shoot. So that's two days out with that," Nurse said.

McCain was re-evaluated a few days ago. He will have to go through a series of days with contact in practice before he's approved to make his season debut. It is unclear when McCain will start that test.

But it's progress.