Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault says Jared McCann's consistency stands out. Still, he's learning a lot about his second-year guard after a deadline trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. Amidst the injuries in the defending champions' backcourt, McCann's fit with the Thunder has been seamless. Over the course of a dozen games, he is averaging 11.8 points on 41.5/39.5/88.9 percent shooting splits and 2.2 rebounds per game.
Additionally, McCain's Mid-range touch has devastated opponentsThat's an aspect of his game Daigneault says he wasn't familiar with until McCain joined the Thunder, he said, according to Thunder Wire's Clemente Almanza.
"His shooting ability. He's a guy you have to make runs off the line, which opens up some of those drives. I didn't know his game well, especially that part of his game — those mid-range games show his strength," Daigneault said. "He's going downhill, and he's able to absorb contact and rise up and shoot a balanced rhythm shot, which is harder than it looks. He makes it look easier than it is. So, he's done a great job."
Mark Daigneault on Jared McCain's mid-range game: "He's a guy you've got to run off the line, that opens up some of those drives. I didn't know his game well, especially that part of his game, the mid-range game shows his strength. He's driving downfield and he's ... pic.twitter.com/ICzCnh3l86
- Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) 6 March 2026
Daigneault also praised McCann for being a secondary playmaker for the shorthanded Thunder, who are missing players like Ajay Mitchell, who has been out since January, and Alex Caruso, who has 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.
He had not played since Feb. 3, and Caruso, dealing with a left hip injury, left Wednesday's 103–100 win against the New York Knicks, as did Isaiah Hartenstein with a left calf injury.
Jared McCann continues to grow for the Thunder
Across a 12-game sample size, Thunder guard Jared McCann has made his presence felt on both ends of the floor, making life easier for his new teammates. In the recent 121-113 win against the Cavs, Jaylin Williams and McCann led the Thunder's bench production while the defending champions were playing without All-Stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Ajay Mitchell and Alex Caruso.
Isaiah Joe, who got the nod to start for Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, explained how McCann's influence opened up offensive opportunities he didn't have before.
“It puts the defense in a dilemma whether 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 Lou got some wide-open shots - Jay-Will, Chet. The shot didn't fall, but given that severity, we just try to find ways to either get looks, take shots, and a lot of times it creates opportunities for other guys, and creates other opportunities for everybody else."
McCann and the Thunder will look to extend their four-game winning streak when they host the Warriors on Saturday.
