Jared McCain wasted no time making his mark on Oklahoma City’s season opener, drilling threes and giving the Thunder a lift in a 116-104 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night.
The game came in a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals, but this one belonged to OKC from start to finish. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 32 points and kept landing the shots the Thunder needed whenever the Spurs tried to chip away.
McCain was right there beside him. The young guard finished with 20 points in just 22 minutes, good for second on the team in scoring. He also filled the role Oklahoma City was counting on after Lu Dort and Isaiah Joe moved on this offseason, catching fire from deep and knocking down six shots from beyond the arc while shooting 75% from three.
That kind of efficiency gave the Thunder a real edge from long range. Oklahoma City shot 41% from the floor, and McCain’s hot hand was a big reason the offense looked sharper than usual. He also added two rebounds and two assists, helping in more ways than just scoring.
His impact showed up in the numbers beyond the box score, too. McCain posted the best net rating of the night at +20, a strong sign of how much Oklahoma City thrived during his minutes.
After being a key piece of the Thunder’s postseason run last year, McCain picked up right where he left off. With a smaller core rotation this season, his role could keep growing if he keeps producing like this, especially if he continues to drive Oklahoma City’s three-point attack.
Nobody is expecting him to stay this hot every night, but if his shot keeps improving as the season rolls on, McCain could turn into one of the league’s best deep threats. On Tuesday, though, he was exactly what the Thunder needed to get revenge on San Antonio.
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