When Jared McCain was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, I think 29 fan bases were annoyed. It certainly made Daryl Morey public enemy number one among Philadelphia 76ers fans. Trading a second-year guard who showed plenty of promise as a rookie was bad enough, but the fact that he landed with the Thunder seemed like a slap in everyone's face.
The Minnesota Timberwolves were one of the teams most closely impacted by this move. Of course, Minnesota is chasing the defending champs. Beating OKC was already going to be hard enough, but the Thunder bolstering their stellar depth and addressing a need with their 3-point shooting made things even more challenging.
During Sunday's 13-point loss, the Timberwolves received a harsh reminder about how dangerous the Thunder are with McCain. The 6-foot-3 guard poured in 15 points, including five triples, in 17 minutes. On a night where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot just 7-for-22 from the field, McCain's scoring was especially vital.
This was far from a one-off game for McCain. Since arriving in OKC, he has been averaging 11.4 points while netting 43.8 percent from beyond the arc. Coming off a knee injury, McCain struggled with the 76ers. Nevertheless, after a stellar rookie season, nobody (other than Daryl Morey) is surprised by McCain's production in OKC.
Jared McCain has made the Thunder even better
Pointing out a flaw with the Thunder is like criticizing the Mona Lisa. With that being said, if there was one thing they could have used more of at the deadline, it was shooting. Notably, they rank 14th in 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage. Since trading for McCain, however, they have moved up to seventh in 3-pointers made and 10th in 3-point percentage.
As teams will inevitably try to load up on SGA in the playoffs, having dependable shooting options around him is essential. What makes the Thunder so special is their optionality. Of course, defense is where they still thrive, but having two elite shooting options, including McCain and Isaiah Joe, allows the Thunder to beat opposing teams in every possible way.
Even with Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves were always going to have a tough time beating OKC in a seven-game series. And unfortunately, with McCain in the mix, the Timberwolves might simply be outclassed despite upgrading their own depth with Ayo Dosunmu and Kyle Anderson. Needless to say, this is frustrating for Timberwolves fans, especially given how young the Thunder's core remains.
The Thunder already appeared to be on pace to start a true dynasty, and adding McCain seems like the cherry on top. Whether they reach their dynasty potential or not, one thing is for sure: Philadelphia did not sell high on McCain as Daryl Morey claimed.