After officially clinching homecourt advantage throughout the entire postseason for the third consecutive year, the OKC Thunder are seemingly giving their core rotation some much-needed rest ahead of what is hoped to be a repeat championship run.
Heading into Friday's matchup against the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City has ruled out a total of 10 players, including their entire starting lineup.
As a result, fans should expect head coach Mark Daigneault to utilize the club's splashy trade deadline acquisition, Jared McCain, in a way they've yet to experiment with during his two-month tenure.
Thunder injury report suggests Jared McCain may be up for heavy usage
When the Thunder initially acquired McCain from the Philadelphia 76ers ahead of the February 5 trade cut-off, many saw the move as yet another heist pulled off by storied executive Sam Presti.
28 games into his young career in OKC, such a belief still rings true among fans and pundits alike, and for good reason.
After all, in 17.5 minutes a night, the point guard is posting impressive averages of 10.3 points and 2.0 rebounds on 46.7 percent shooting from the floor and 40.5 percent shooting from deep, all while ranking sixth on the team in net rating among those who have seen 20 or more games played throughout this stretch.
However, even with his highly efficient production, McCain has yet to showcase his skills as a go-to option for the Thunder.
His upcoming matchup against Denver might just serve as his first.
With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, and Isaiah Joe all sidelined, the role for OKC's number one scoring weapon is up for grabs, and McCain seems to be the most logical choice to take on such duties.
Let's not forget that just a season ago, the Duke product emerged as a rising star with the Sixers, posting sensational averages of 15.3 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds on 46.0 percent shooting from the floor and 38.3 percent shooting from deep while establishing himself as the frontrunner for the league's Rookie of the Year award before being being shut down for the season with a torn UCL.
Now over a year removed from the injury, it seems McCain has officially shed any rust that formed during his rehab, and this upcoming bout against the Nuggets could prove to be the time when he shows the world that he's back to his pre-injury, star-on-the-rise form.