In his two games with the OKC Thunder, Jared McCain has impressed with a level of shooting precision and quickness around the perimeter that the reigning champs have been desperately missing.
The former 76er has done his part in limited minutes, scoring a combined 12 points on 5-for-12 shooting in his two appearances.
However, while he has performed admirably, his presence has created a ripple effect, bringing another member of this team to life.
Jared McCain has impacted Thunder with his presence alone
Isaiah Joe has been seeing nothing but net since McCain's arrival. In the two games with the new guard, Joe is averaging 20.0 points per game on 50.0 percent shooting from downtown.
He's also been more aggressive during this span, taking 11 two-point shot attempts and shooting 11 free throws.
General manager Sam Presti brought the former Duke guard in for offensive help on the perimeter, and early on, it looks like a perfect fit. While Joe has been the primary benefactor of the transaction, the effects have shown up all over the box score.
It turns out that McCain's mere presence on the floor has opened up more looks for the rest of the OKC shooters. Over their past two games, the Thunder are shooting 40.5 percent from deep on 69 attempts as a team.
McCain has only taken five of those attempts.
From the eye test, McCain's quickness has completely disrupted defensive rotations, creating more ball-movement opportunities and open shots for his teammates.
In Monday night's win against the Los Angeles Lakers, six different players recorded at least two assists, and four players hit two or more threes. OKC was also plus-10 when the sophomore guard was on the floor.
Thunder might have found a new winning formula
The dual threat of McCain and Joe being on the floor at the same time will only become more lethal once superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returns from injury.
The iso specialist should greatly benefit from having a pair of deadly sharpshooters on the wings, ready to take advantage of kick-out opportunities.
It's anybody's guess whether McCain's current sub-20-minute role will change. It is certain, however, that the tandem of he and I-Joe has worked. The two have combined for a plus-minus of plus-54 in the two-game stretch.
Even though Loud City is just 1-2 over their past three games, they are showing plenty of reasons for optimism.
The addition of Jared McCain seems to have lit a fire under this offense, and two of its top four scorers aren't even on the floor.
The rest of the league is trembling at the thought of an SGA-led offense that can knock down catch-and-shoot threes at an elite rate.