What's up with Mitch McGary?
Injuries have pushed Mitch McGary into a prominent role over the Thunder's last two games, and he has shown enough skills that Chris Towers thinks Fantasy players should take notice.
With Steven Adams sidelined by a hand injury that could keep him out three weeks or longer, the Thunder have a big need in the frontcourt, and it appears rookie Mitch McGary is going to get every chance to prove he can fill in.
In the first two games since Adams' injury, McGary has been a difference maker, scoring 36 points and adding 20 rebounds. Perhaps even more importantly for his chances to continue receiving playing time, the Thunder have outscored the Nuggets and Clippers by 13 points over McGary's 48 minutes of action. Can Fantasy owners trust McGary to remain relevant if they take a flier on him on waivers in the next few days?
In Monday's win over the Nuggets, McGary played the entire fourth quarter, including an extended stretch as the nominal center with the starting lineup. He spent more than half of his time on the court with Kevin Durant and yet still ended up with a field-goal attempt every other minute he played, a pretty high usage rate for a role player on the Thunder. That probably won't be sustainable in the long-term, but he has shown some solid skills that could help him stay productive if he doesn't lose his role, at least in this very small sample size.
McGary has taken 10 free throws on 21 field-goal attempts in his two breakout games, and that is a skill he relied on quite often at Michigan. He posted a .436 free throw rate in his eight-game senior season, and hasn’t spent much time away from the rim in his limited NBA experience, with 20 of his 23 attempts coming within five feet of the hoop, per NBA.com. McGary plays a physical style that could lead to plenty of fouls drawn on both sides of the floor, though that hasn't been an issue for him so far.
If McGary can keep getting to the free-throw line and posting big rebounding numbers -- two skills he showed in abundance at Michigan -- he might be able to remain Fantasy relevant even if he can only get 25 minutes of action on most nights. His role is going to be small, but if he can turn the 5.5 field-goal attempts per game Steven Adams was getting into consistent 8-8 lines, there is value in him as a low-end option at center if he can provide some help with assists and free-throw shooting as well.
McGary is now owned in 26 percent of CBSSports.com leagues, up from just 2 percent a week ago. If you have been hit hard by injuries and are looking for someone to take a chance on, McGary is worth a look if Spencer Hawes and John Henson are gone, though James Johnson (14 percent owned) might be an even better choice.
