When the Oklahoma City Thunder acquired Jared McCain from the Philadelphia 76ers at the trade deadline, there were a number of questions surrounding his fit with the team.
He had an excellent start to his career in Philadelphia, looking like a bona-fide Rookie of the Year candidate before a torn meniscus limited him to just 23 games in his first campaign. He averaged 15.3 points on 46% shooting in that span.
When he returned this season after suffering another significant injury in an offseason workout, his role was limited. The 76ers declined to give him consistent rotational run. Did he have what it took to acclimate himself to one of the most demanding two-way systems in the league?
He quickly proved he did.
Now, however, as the playoffs approach, it seems like his leash has run out. In the Thunder's final meaningful bout of the regular season, in which they clinched the one-seed in their victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, McCain didn't see the floor until the game was virtually over. He played just under four minutes on the night— the same time that Kenrich Williams and Aaron Wiggins saw.
The trade for McCain was always a move for the future. In the short-term, it appears as though McCain has failed to crack the Thunder's playoff rotation.
Thunder have made some surprising cuts to their playoff rotation as the regular season closes
Part of the reason for McCain's rapid rise in Oklahoma City was the depleted state of the roster upon his arrival. Both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell were rehabbing injuries when the trade happened. Through his first 10 games with the team, he earned a diet of 19.4 minutes per game, averaging 11.8 points and knocking down 42.9% of his attempts from beyond the arc in that span.
For a team that needed help on the perimeter, he was a late-season revelation.
But he's sunk just 30.6% of his 3-point attempts over his last 10 games. It was always a long-shot for McCain to crack the playoff rotation. But as long as he was shooting well, there was always a chance.
Instead, the full emergence of Isaiah Joe has made McCain temporarily redundant. Joe is shooting 49.2% from the perimeter over his last 10 games.
Mark Daigneault's choice to hold McCain out of the regular rotation against the Clippers is telling. The players who saw significant minutes off the bench— Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, Jaylin Williams, and Alex Caruso— will certainly play roles in the postseason.
Their final two games of the regular season won't tell us much. The Thunder have already ruled out 10 players for their Friday matchup against the Denver Nuggets, having already clinched the first seed in the Western Conference.
McCain will get his shot next season once the roster is re-constructed. For now, however, it seems as though this season's journey has largely come to an end.