What about Mac McClung the KIA G League Player of the month of November? I realize there are questions about his lack of typical size and his supposedly weak defense but all this kid has done is ball out in both the Summer League and G League for several teams. He registered 20-9-9 when given a fair chance in a game for the 76ers. He surely is good enough to get a fair chance in a 10 day contract on a non contending team! Put him to the test and find out for sure if he is a liability!
With that said what other G League stars deserve a fair chance and what teams are in a position to offer such a chance to those players?
I will admit that I’m probably biased against the guy (just not a big fan of the show boat social media peeps); however, four teams have now given him a chance and released him. It just seems like if a team saw something, they’d do more for him.
That’s not to say he’s not worth a shot. And he could be a much higher character guy than I’m giving him credit for. I really don’t know much about him other than the layup/dunk videos and he started putting out several years ago and a few professional highlights.
At this point, I’m much more interested in our time finding identity and gelling-- which comes with more dedicated playing time and stable rosters-- than taking a risk on a guy who’s been passed around a bit already.
Mac McClung has done nothing but perform at a high level nearly every time he has been given a real chance. In high school and at both the Summer League and G League and the one NBA game he got some burn with the 76ers. There are guys who have done less with their time in the Summer and G League who are solidified on NBA teams right now.
As far as Mac McClung making a dunk lesson video, why is that seen as a strike against him? What crimes has he committed? What girlfriend or anybody else has he assaulted? Players with criminal records play in the NBA but this kid simply took advantage of some media hype. What NIL deals did he have in college? How much is he paid in the G League and in his partial contract with Orlando?
I openly admit that I’m probably unjustly biased against the guy, and thought I said as much in my post. I don’t think he’s a terrible person and he’s proved to be a real player, when I thought he was just a YouTube baller.
That being said, a handful of teams have brought him in and let him go. I just wonder if they’ve seen enough of him to realize he’s either a project or has issues. I really have no idea.
My issue with bringing him in is that more than anything we need to build a coherent team composition. We have several younger guys that we need to grow. For them to be successful, they need to develop in a coherent system with veterans that understand their assignments, and right now I just don’t see that. So introducing a player that MAY need a lot of development— which I’m solely basing on multiple teams cutting him— doesn’t seem like a move that’s going to help us.
Fair enough dnbman and all good. I started this thread with more than just Mac McClung in mind and mainly to discuss G League players that are impressing some of you and who you think should get a call up and a real chance to play for an NBA team.
Really good thread idea @DeadlySwarm, as surely there must be some guys worth kicking the tires on. Sadly, I can’t contribute as I don’t watch any G League. My suggestion would be to try out some of the top defensive rebounders in the G League, as that usually translates from college/G League into the NBA.
Well, here y’all go. Mac McClung has now won two NBA Slam Dunk titles, a G League Title and now a G League MVP award! Not to give him a fair chance to make an NBA teams final roster going into next season would be pure politics and total BS! I see no reason our Hornets or any of the other lottery teams shouldn’t bring Mac into the Summer League and than go from there!
If people want to keep on using height as an issue there are plenty of former NBA players thought to be too small for point guard who did more than well once given a fair chance! Can anybody say Michael Adams, our own Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues, Anthony “Spud” Webb and Alan Iverson? While all these guys were drafted at various places into the NBA and being of all different sizes in height, they were all considered too small to have much if any success in the NBA.
The fact that Mac McClung didn’t get drafted should not matter since he has excelled in the NBA developmental league known as the G League. I am not saying he is as good as Muggsy or Alan Iverson but by golly he should be good enough to carve out his own niche and contribute to some team in the NBA for many years. It isn’t like he would be playing in an NBA where the players could be a lot more physical than those of today. Still the little men I mentioned excelled all those years ago so nobody has that excuse! I am not so much pro Mac McClung as I am pro fairness and equal opportunity. I will continue to voice my displeasure when I see certain players stereotyped and done wrong when other similar players are given a fair chance!