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Mitch McGary suspended for drug violation

OKC Thunder power forward Mitch McGary was suspended without pay by the NBA for five games for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program.

McGary’s suspension will begin with the next NBA regular season game that he is eligible and physically able to play.

McGary played 15.2 minutes per game as a rookie, averaging 6.3 points and an impressive 5.2 rebounds. But last season, his second in the league, he was mostly an observer, playing just 3.6 minutes in 20 games.

Mitch McGary spending serious time in D-League

Here’s the Oklahoman reporting on a young bruising Thunder forward whose playing time is coming by way of the D-League:

On Tuesday, the 6-foot-10, 260-pound McGary posted his second-consecutive double-double for the D-League Oklahoma City Blue with 14 points and 10 rebounds in 27 minutes in a win over the Idaho Stampede.

The 2014 Thunder first-rounder hasn’t appeared in a game for the Thunder since Nov. 23 and hasn’t been on the Thunder’s active roster for a game since Nov. 27. McGary, however, is getting consistent minutes for the Blue he wasn’t seeing behind the Thunder’s frontcourt logjam of Serge Ibaka, Enes Kanter, Steven Adams and Nick Collison.

In 11 games with the Blue, McGary is averaging 14.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 assists in 26.1 minutes per game.