After a NBA trade deadline day that saw more action than fans could cope with, the Oklahoma City Thunder managed to pull off a deal that can bring them into major contention in the Western Conference. They ditched the low-moral, complacent Reggie Jackson, who wanted out anyway, and brought in a capable backup point guard in D.J. Augustin, another three-point shooter in Kyle Singler, and -- most importantly -- an upgrade at the center position in Enes Kanter.

As valuable as Kendrick Perkins was to the Thunder, in terms of his toughness and presence as a strong defender, Kanter provides so much more talent and versatility to the their offense (not to mention he is eight years younger) that he is a valuable upgrade. And when Steven Adams, once he returns from injury, and a newly-found weapon in Mitch McGary, the Thunder's front court has more depth than it has had in years.

Royce Young of DailyThunder.com on McGary: "I think I love the Ibaka-McGary frontcourt tandem. You've got a good roll big in McGary that can catch and finish, and you've got Ibaka spacing on the weak side. Creates a ton of room on the floor."

McGary may not have the offensive ability of Kanter (who is a threat in the pick-and-roll and stretching the floor) or have the shooting ability of Serge Ibaka, but he adds some grit and hustle that is one of the most crucial traits a team needs if it wants to make a deep run into the playoffs.

As beloved as Perkins was to the people of Oklahoma, it is safe to say that with a core of big men consisting of Nick Collison, Adams, Ibaka, Kanter and McGary, the Thunder will be just fine.

McGary appeared in his first NBA regular-season performance on December 14 and did not return again until February 2 after finally being recalled from the D-League for a fair share of games, so there is little to judge when analyzing his rookie season. However, what McGary has done in such a short amount of time is far above what OKC could have hoped for, and the Thunder should certainly reward him with a place on the roster.

Considering what McGary has done in a short amount of time, he tallied seven points and seven rebounds in just three minutes against the Charlotte Hornets. Again, he did this in three minutes. That is the definition of a spark plug in the NBA.

McGary made an instant impact coming off the bench, and once Adams returns, the Thunder will have too many strong rebounders to count, which is why they happen to be ranked first in the league in team rebounding with 47.4 per game. McGary has not waited around to show off what he can do either, and after just 11 games, he has recorded two double-doubles (both in under 25 minutes of action).

Friday night, McGary received the most playing time of his short career with 28 minutes in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, and he was even just one board shy of recording his first 20-point, 10-rebound game (on 76.9% shooting). He may not bring much to the table in terms of a post-up game or shooting ability yet, but that is not what the Thunder need. McGary has excelled so far as a hustler who plays every possession as if the game is on the line.

Especially while Adams is out, McGary could see quite a prominent role in the Thunder's front-court rotation and an increase from his current playing time of 15 minutes per game. However, by looking at his impact per 36 minutes, the level of McGary's performance so far is startling to say the least. Per 36 minutes, he is averaging 16.7 points and 13.4 rebounds. If this is the kind of fast-paced production that McGary can continue to provide off the bench (and had his pro career started a little sooner), he could have become one of the top candidates for Rookie of the Year.

McGary's energetic play style is present in transition as well, and he runs the floor in a way that Kendrick Perkins could not even dream of doing. The 6'10", 255-pound rookie has continued to run the floor on fast breaks, which has offered Westbrook a great option to drop the ball inside to after he has drawn some defensive attention away from the basket.

PHOTO CREDIT: http://hardwoodparoxysm.com/

Currently making 48.2% of his field goal attempts (57% from within three feet), McGary has been pretty efficient too, and with Ibaka to stretch the floor and create space inside, McGary can find success in the paint due to his great catch-and-finish ability around the rim. With Westbrook driving to the basket so often and drawing extra defenders out of their positions in a zone defense, he leaves McGary with more space under the basket or in the pick-and-roll when Russ commands a double-team.

McGary's role is simple, yet he is filling it with such emphasis, energy, and passion that he could quickly become a beloved player on this young and talented Thunder squad. His timing could not have been better either, and alongside Westbrook, he has been a key factor in the absence of Durant and Adams.

Many fans thought the Thunder hit the jackpot with their deadline day trade, but it looks like they already had a star in the making hidden away the entire time.

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About the author
Tom West
Third year English Language the University of Winchester and an NBA writer for VAVEL USA.