The NBA has begun to game plan for Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain. After the young guard caught the attention of the league when he scored 20-plus points in seven straight games, McCain has been held to 9-for-34 shooting combined over the previous two games.

McCain scored 15 points on 6-for-19 shooting, but showed improvement from Sunday's woeful performance vs. Clippers. “I just try to find anyway to make steps in the right direction,” he said.

The “Knecht” mania from last week morphed into a more sober stretch with the Lakers’ little skid and his recent 42.9% shooting. Lakers coach J.J. Redick was asked about his defense, and TheRinger.com ran a lengthy piece questioning his ceiling as a 23-year-old newbie and justifying his slide to No. 17 in the Draft. Welcome to the NBA, rook.