Jared McCain’s revealing ‘off-the-court’ take on chemistry with Thunder teammates

Second-year guard Jared McCain has adapted seamlessly to the Oklahoma City Thunder since his trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. Head coach Mark Daigneault points to McCain’s fiesty approach as a means to a 40.8% 3-point shooting clip while averaging 10.6 points per game. He’s been a reliable option off the bench for the returning champions, joining a cluster of talented backup guards, such as Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso, and Ajay Mitchell.

After a 123-87 win against the Los Angeles Lakers on the road, McCain opened up about how he’s connected to his new Thunder teammates on and off the court since his arrival in February.

“The chemistry just comes from just hanging out,” McCain said. “A lot of it is just being able to be on the road, go to team dinners — I’m a big fan of team dinners. I love going out with them. So anytime we can do that, going shopping with anybody, those are my favorite times. I think that just naturally builds it, being able to be friends with people, and have that chemistry.

“It just builds. And obviously playing together in practice — that obviously helps — but I think a lot of it comes off the court, and it kind of shows up on the court as well.”

McCain finished with 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting, including three triples in Tuesday’s win against the Lakers.

Mark Daigneault on Jared McCain’s impact on Thunder

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault says Jared McCain bought in since the beginning. Daigneault noticed McCain’s fit with the Thunder almost immediately after joining the team.

“He’s definitely integrated well. He’s learning his teammates. He’s learning our system and the fundamentals that we emphasize,” Daigneault said. “I thought in the first half, especially, he had some really good defensive possessions, which has been really encouraging. He’s done a really good job of committing to our fundamentals and the things that we need to do on the defensive end of the floor.

“Obviously, he’s a very potent offensive player, but he gives up some size and needs to be really fundamental and feisty, and he’s done that, especially lately. So we’re pleased with the progress he’s made there, and he continues to be a fan favorite in the locker room just with the way that he’s approached things since he’s been traded here.”

McCain has scored at least two threes in 14 of his 27 games with the Thunder.

The post Jared McCain’s revealing ‘off-the-court’ take on chemistry with Thunder teammates appeared first on ClutchPoints.