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What Mark Daigneault learned about Thunder’s Jared McCain
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- What Mark Daigneault learned about Thunder’s Jared McCain
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Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault says Jared McCain's consistency stands out most. Still, he's learning a lot more about his second-year guard following the deadline trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. Amidst injuries to the defending champions' backcourt, McCain's fit with the Thunder has been seamless . Through a dozen games, he's averaging 11.8 points on 41.5/39.5/88.9 percent shooting splits, and 2.2 rebounds per game.
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Also, McCain's mid-range touch has devastated opponents , which is a facet of his game that Daigneault says he wasn't familiar with until McCain joined the Thunder, he said, per Thunder Wire's Clemente Almanza.
"His ability to shoot. He's a guy that you have to race off the line, which opens up some of those drives. I didn't know his game that well, especially that part of his game — those mid-range plays show off his strength," Daigneault said. "He gets going downhill, and he's able to absorb contact and rise up and shoot a balanced rhythm shot, which is harder to do than it looks. He makes it look easier than it is. So, he's done a great job."
Daigneault also commended McCain for being a secondary playmaker for the shorthanded Thunder, missing players such as Ajay Mitchell, who's been out since January, and Alex Caruso, who's been in and out of the lineup. All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returned from an abdominal injury in Friday's 127-121 overtime win against the Denver Nuggets.
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He hadn't played since February 3 before then, and Caruso, dealing with a left hip contusion, left Wednesday's 103-100 win against the New York Knicks, as did Isaiah Hartenstein, due to a left calf injury.
Jared McCain continues to thrive for Thunder
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Amidst a 12-game sample size, Thunder guard Jared McCain has made his presence felt on both ends of the floor, while making life easier for his new teammates. In a recent 121-113 win against the Cavs, Jaylin Williams and McCain led the Thunder's bench production, while the defending champions were playing without All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Ajay Mitchell, and Alex Caruso.
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Isaiah Joe, who got the nod to start for Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, explained how McCain's impact opened up offensive opportunities that he didn't have before.
"It puts the defense in a dilemma to help or not, and it kind of creates driving lanes, even when they went box-and-1, and they made that run, we were still getting really good looks," Joe said. "I think Lu got a couple of wide-open shots — J-Will, Chet. The shot didn't fall, but having that gravity out there, we just try to find ways to either get looks, get shots, and a lot of times it creates opportunities for other people, and other opportunities for everybody else."
McCain and the Thunder will look to extend their four-game winning streak when they host the Warriors on Saturday.
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