Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Guards, Celtics, Johnson

Although not much has gone right for the Sixers this year, the growing bond between rookie Philadelphia guard Jared McCain and veteran point guard Kyle Lowry is one of the bright spots.

In a new piece, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer examined the relationship between the 38-year-old former All-Star and the 20-year-old Duke alum.

“I call him Unc Lowry,” McCain said of Lowry. “Grandpa. Super vet. Super duper vet.”

McCain is now shelved indefinitely after undergoing a left knee surgery. But prior to that, the No. 16 pick in this year’s draft was looking like a bona fide Rookie of the Year contender. Lowry’s tutelage has abetted that somewhat.

McCain had earned the Sixers’ starting shooting guard role by early November, but was versatile enough to also spell All-Star starter Tyrese Maxey at the point when he sat. Lowry talked him through that transition on the floor.

“Sometimes when I’m out there on the court, and I’m the only point guard out there, it’s hard for me to kind of adjust to being a shooting guard or a point guard,” McCain said. “Knowing where everybody is at on the court, being able to talk, being vocal. I’ve just got to adjust and be a leader.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

• On Thursday, the Sixers got the green light from Philadelphia’s city council to construct a new $1.3 billion stadium downtown on a 12-5 vote, per ESPN/The Associated Press. Local activists and residents from nearby Chinatown had been protesting the probable agreement. Sixers ownership hopes to relocate the club from its current home, Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia, to this new locale by 2031.
• Although the Grousbeck family, majority owners of the Celtics franchise, had claimed they hoped to offload a majority ownership stake in the franchise by late 2024 or early 2025, no such agreement is yet on the horizon, a source informs Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. The source tells Himmelsbach that bidding is expected to tip off in January.
• Nets forward Cameron Johnson is trying to ignore growing trade chatter ahead of this year’s February 6 deadline, reports Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “We’ve communicated that: Be where your feet are,” Johnson told Lewis of his conversations with Brooklyn brass. “I think the understanding is, don’t get caught up in things that we can’t control or things that are off the court when we have so much to worry about on the court.” This year, the 6’8″ vet is averaging 19.2 points on .489/.431/.874 shooting splits, along with 4.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in his 26 healthy games.