Jared McCain made a clear statement Tuesday night in Oklahoma City’s 114-112 overtime win over the Indiana Pacers: the bigger job already looks like it fits.
In the Thunder’s fourth preseason game, McCain was the one who grabbed the spotlight. He finished with a team-high 20 points, and he did most of that damage from deep, where he took 12 three-pointers and knocked down half of them. That was the most three-pointers made in the game, and it backed up the idea that he’s ready for the expanded responsibility waiting for him this season.
That opportunity has opened up with the departure of Isaiah Joe this offseason, and McCain is now expected to handle most of Oklahoma City’s three-point shooting. Tuesday offered a strong first look at what that might mean. He wasn’t passive with his shot selection, and he didn’t look overwhelmed by the volume.
The scoring was only part of the story. McCain added two rebounds, two assists and a steal in 19 minutes, giving the Thunder a little bit of everything while still focusing on what he does best. He may not be asked to fill up every column every night, but that kind of all-around contribution only helps when a young player is trying to carve out a larger role.
He also did his damage efficiently in limited time. With only 19 minutes on the floor, McCain made the most of his run and gave Oklahoma City exactly the kind of early preseason proof it wanted from a player heading into a bigger spotlight.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander chipped in 15 points and Jalen Williams added 16, but McCain’s performance was the most encouraging sign for the Thunder. If this is a preview of what’s coming, Oklahoma City has a young sharpshooter ready to step forward.
In Other News...
Thunder Title Hopes Now Ride On One Uncomfortable Reality
The Thunder remain the leagues early favorite for the 2026-27 title, but the price of staying on top has already become part of the conversation in Oklahoma City. Cost-saving trades sent Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins elsewhere, stripping away three useful pieces from a roster that had been built to win with balance, versatility and depth.
Sam Presti has already acknowledged how hard those departures are to absorb, and the bigger concern is the thinner margin for error that now comes with every injury, every cold stretch and every lineup decision. The core trio still gives Oklahoma City a real championship path, but with depth reduced and plenty of strong competition around the league, the Thunders hopes may hinge on how well the remaining supporting cast can hold up when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Defense Just Sent A Clear Message About This Season
Bleacher Reports latest list of the leagues top 30 defenders offered a tidy snapshot of where Oklahoma Citys identity sits heading into the season. The Thunder landed five players on the ranking, with Jalen Williams at No. 24, Isaiah Hartenstein at No. 21, Alex Caruso at No. 11, Cason Wallace at No. 9 and Chet Holmgren all the way up at No. 4, a spread that says plenty about how deep this roster goes on that end of the floor.
Holmgrens placement comes after a season that already put him among the leagues elite defenders, following a second-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting and All-NBA Defensive First Team honors. With Caruso and Wallace also recognized near the top of the list, Oklahoma City is carrying into the new year the kind of defensive depth that can shape a contender, and the only real question is how far that collective edge can take them once the games start counting again. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Williams Turned One Thunder Playoff Memory Into A Lakers Dig
Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell revisited Oklahoma Citys 2026 playoff run on the Young Man and the Three podcast, and the conversation naturally drifted to one of the Thunders most memorable postseason stretches. Mitchell had a strong showing against the Lakers before his injury later in the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs, while Williams was watching that first-round series from the sidelines because of a hamstring injury. Even away from the floor, Williams said he got a kick out of the way fans reacted online as the Thunder worked through that matchup.
The playoff run is still fresh enough to color how Oklahoma City talks about what comes next, especially with the 2026-27 season set to open against the Spurs in a rematch that already carries some edge. For Williams, the Lakers series remains one of those moments where the noise around the game, and the way it played out for the Thunder, became part of the memory. The podcast appearance offered a reminder that even an injury absence can still turn into a front-row seat for the kind of trash talk and fan chatter that follows a team all spring. [Read more 🡒]