Three players OKC Thunder should target to add value and fill out roster
By Aidan E
Taking a chance on a two-way player with potential
Recently waived by the Mavericks, Daryl Macon could be an interesting project for the OKC Thunder to take on.
While he’s not your typical NBA free agent, he would be an intriguing pickup as a two-way player for the OKC Thunder to develop.
Undrafted out of Arkansas, Macon spent a majority of his team in the G-League last season where he averaged 19 points, three rebounds and six assists per game. He also appeared in eight games for the Dallas Mavericks.
Macon is a good shooter who is coming off a college career where he shot 41 percent from the three-point line as well as .871 from the line. In the G-League he only shot 34 percent, however, his free throw percentage was still excellent which leads me to believe that his percentage was more of an anomaly than a foregone conclusion.
Macon also has the ability to play on and off the ball as a spot-up shooter. Macon plays similar to Carsen Edwards but does not possess the same prolific scoring ability and weight that Edwards has (15 pounds lighter). At 6’3 185 with a 6’6 wingspan, Macon has the size of CJ McCollum but is severely lacking the weight, ball-handling, and self-creation that CJ has.
Obviously, Macon is still available for a reason and one of his drawbacks is that he doesn’t have the necessary point guard skills to make it at that spot in the NBA, but he doesn’t have the frame to be an effective shooting guard.
Purely hypothetical, but if Macon ever pans out and makes it as an NBA player for the OKC Thunder, he would ideally play the point and give up ball-handling duties to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who would be at the two spot. Shai would be able to setup Macon with opportunities to succeed on offense given his lack of self-creation, giving him chances to catch and shoot and shoot off the dribble.
Macon could prove to be a valuable signing as the remaining two-way player on OKC’s roster.