Mac McClung

[prhoya]

May 17, 2021 23:49:01 GMT -5 metaphor said:

May 17, 2021 10:07:55 GMT -5 njhoya78 said:

Good luck, Mac. You'll need it.

Wow, what a rollercoaster. Being 20 is not easy and I feel for McClung. I really wished he had stayed at Georgetown as I think this year would have even been more remarkable.

Clearly he wants to give the NBA a shot and he has worked hard for it. Hope he makes it. And if he doesn't, I hope he can come back to Georgetown, transfer his Texas Tech credits, and earn his degree.

If I could have one of the eligible former/current Hoyas to come back, then it would be Bile (position of need; plays like Pat wants; is a BET champ; etc...).

[professorhoya]

May 17, 2021 23:49:01 GMT -5 metaphor said:

May 17, 2021 10:07:55 GMT -5 njhoya78 said:

Good luck, Mac. You'll need it.

Wow, what a rollercoaster. Being 20 is not easy and I feel for McClung. I really wished he had stayed at Georgetown as I think this year would have even been more remarkable.

Clearly he wants to give the NBA a shot and he has worked hard for it. Hope he makes it. And if he doesn't, I hope he can come back to Georgetown, transfer his Texas Tech credits, and earn his degree.

It's smart though. His game is based on athleticism and leaping ability is the first thing to go with all the wear and tear. Might as well get paid than waste that athleticism for anthoer year at the college level.

[tashoya]

His passport is going to be colorful.

[metaphor]

May 18, 2021 1:05:31 GMT -5 prhoya said:

May 17, 2021 23:49:01 GMT -5 metaphor said:

Wow, what a rollercoaster. Being 20 is not easy and I feel for McClung. I really wished he had stayed at Georgetown as I think this year would have even been more remarkable.

Clearly he wants to give the NBA a shot and he has worked hard for it. Hope he makes it. And if he doesn't, I hope he can come back to Georgetown, transfer his Texas Tech credits, and earn his degree.

If I could have one of the eligible former/current Hoyas to come back, then it would be Bile (position of need; plays like Pat wants; is a BET champ; etc...).

Just to clarify, I did not mean to imply "come back to Georgetown" to play basketball. I meant "come back to Georgetown" to earn his degree.

[cgallstar02]

[cgallstar02]

[cgallstar02]

[professorhoya]

I think he’ll get one of the g league elite camp nba combine invites

[cgallstar02]

[cgallstar02]

Of the 90 prospects that tested at the G League Elite and NBA Combine, Mac finished 1st in 3/4 court sprint (2.94), 3rd in standing vert (36), 3rd in max vert (43.5), tied for 8th in lane agility(10.76), and tied for 7th in the shuttle run (2.99).

Here's how he compares to some of the NBA's most athletic guards:

Westbrook... sprint 3.07, standing vert 30, max vert 36.5, agility 11.32
Rose... sprint 3.05, standing vert 34.5, max vert 40, agility 11.37
Donovan Mitchell... sprint 3.01, standing vert 36.5, max vert 40.5, agility 11.53, shuttle 3.07
Lillard... sprint 3.34, standing vert 34.5, max vert 39.5, agility 11.15

He beats all 4 guys in every category with exception of Mitchell who beat him in standing vert by .5 inches. Not bad for someone I was told was an at best average athlete compared to NBA guards. Or even that Akinjo would beat him in every test other than max vert. His achilles heal is his wingspan which only came in at 6'2.25"... by comparison Lillard, Westbrook and Rose have a 6'8" wingspan, and Mitchell's is 6'10".

[ksf42001]

Jun 28, 2021 23:58:10 GMT -5 cgallstar02 said:

Of the 90 prospects that tested at the G League Elite and NBA Combine, Mac finished 1st in 3/4 court sprint (2.94), 3rd in standing vert (36), 3rd in max vert (43.5), tied for 8th in lane agility(10.76), and tied for 7th in the shuttle run (2.99).

Here's how he compares to some of the NBA's most athletic guards:

Westbrook... sprint 3.07, standing vert 30, max vert 36.5, agility 11.32
Rose... sprint 3.05, standing vert 34.5, max vert 40, agility 11.37
Donovan Mitchell... sprint 3.01, standing vert 36.5, max vert 40.5, agility 11.53, shuttle 3.07
Lillard... sprint 3.34, standing vert 34.5, max vert 39.5, agility 11.15

He beats all 4 guys in every category with exception of Mitchell who beat him in standing vert by .5 inches. Not bad for someone I was told was an at best average athlete compared to NBA guards. Or even that Akinjo would beat him in every test other than max vert. His achilles heal is his wingspan which only came in at 6'2.25"... by comparison Lillard, Westbrook and Rose have a 6'8" wingspan, and Mitchell's is 6'10".

So what you're saying is that his play on the court is slower than his measurables would indicate they should be.

[hoyas212]

Jun 28, 2021 23:58:10 GMT -5 cgallstar02 said:

Of the 90 prospects that tested at the G League Elite and NBA Combine, Mac finished 1st in 3/4 court sprint (2.94), 3rd in standing vert (36), 3rd in max vert (43.5), tied for 8th in lane agility(10.76), and tied for 7th in the shuttle run (2.99).

Here's how he compares to some of the NBA's most athletic guards:

Westbrook... sprint 3.07, standing vert 30, max vert 36.5, agility 11.32
Rose... sprint 3.05, standing vert 34.5, max vert 40, agility 11.37
Donovan Mitchell... sprint 3.01, standing vert 36.5, max vert 40.5, agility 11.53, shuttle 3.07
Lillard... sprint 3.34, standing vert 34.5, max vert 39.5, agility 11.15

He beats all 4 guys in every category with exception of Mitchell who beat him in standing vert by .5 inches. Not bad for someone I was told was an at best average athlete compared to NBA guards. Or even that Akinjo would beat him in every test other than max vert. His achilles heal is his wingspan which only came in at 6'2.25"... by comparison Lillard, Westbrook and Rose have a 6'8" wingspan, and Mitchell's is 6'10".

And from the G League combine, only Carlik Jones, Aaron Wiggins, and AJ Lawson got invites to the NBA Draft Combine because NBA teams are trying to build basketball teams, not workout warrior teams.

But you probably still think Mac is a NBA player and all the people who evaluate players for a living don’t know what they are doing despite overwhelming evidence that they are good at their jobs.

[cgallstar02]

Jun 29, 2021 15:28:27 GMT -5 hoyas212 said:

And from the G League combine, only Carlik Jones, Aaron Wiggins, and AJ Lawson got invites to the NBA Draft Combine because NBA teams are trying to build basketball teams, not workout warrior teams.

But you probably still think Mac is a NBA player and all the people who evaluate players for a living don’t know what they are doing despite overwhelming evidence that they are good at their jobs.

So you're saying that only the players invited to the combine play in the NBA? How then do you explain the large number of players currently in the NBA that never got combine invites?

It's cool though, I'll take your word for it, I mean you guys have been right at every turn. When he was in high school all I heard was "He's just a dunker, he can't play D1 and he'll never start at Georgetown." After starting every game 2 years in a row and deciding to transfer to Texas Tech, the new narrative was "If you can't play defense, you can't play for Chris Beard." He started every game at Tech, made the all Big 12 team and won Big 12 newcomer of the year despite being left off many of the so called "experts" list of top incoming transfers prior to the season. 

Before his transfer, whenever the topic of him playing in the NBA someday was brought up and the idea that his athleticism was elite enough to get him in the league someday, the Hoyatalk experts assured me that he was at best an average athlete for an NBA guard and far from being top tier. I was also assured that he only had good leaping ability with mediocre speed and lateral quickness and that those areas would be exposed at the combine. Per usual the Hoyatalk experts nailed it. He only had the 3rd fastest sprint in combine history and fastest in 20 years. His lateral quickness numbers while not astounding were far better than guys like Mitchell, Westbrook, Rose, and Lillard. Overall he tested out as the best all around athlete in the draft, and his overall numbers have to be top 10 all time in combine history. He narrowly beat Nate Robinson in sprint and standing vert, and tied him in max vert... Nate is easily one of the best athletes in NBA history. So now he's just a "workout warrior" but according to the experts he wasn't supposed to even be that. 

I get it though... when he someday makes the league you'll tell me "He's just the 12th man, he sucks and he'll be out the league in a year." When he makes it into a rotation, you'll be sure to let me know "He doesn't even start, trust me, he's not good." If he get's a starting job, you'll say "He's only shooting X percentage, his numbers aren't that good, it's not like he's an all-star." So yea I get it. I mean all I heard for a year straight was how TJ Berger was the second coming of Steph Curry... then he transferred and suddenly those same experts said "No big loss, he's not D1 caliber, he was never gonna crack the rotation." 

[ksf42001]

Jun 30, 2021 21:47:55 GMT -5 cgallstar02 said:

Jun 29, 2021 15:28:27 GMT -5 hoyas212 said:

He narrowly beat Nate Robinson in sprint and standing vert, and tied him in max vert... Nate is easily one of the best athletes in NBA history. So now he's just a "workout warrior" but according to the experts he wasn't supposed to even be that.

Nate Robinson was also a far better college basketball player than Mac was. Better 2pt and 3pt shooter, more rebounds/assists/steals in pretty much the same minutes per game. That's the reason he was a 1st round pick (even with his height) and Mac didn't even get an NBA combine invite. Maybe you will be proven right in the long run, but Mac is much more likely to be doing highlight dunks in China for the next decade (and making good money doing it).

[cgallstar02]

Jun 30, 2021 22:53:46 GMT -5 ksf42001 said:

Jun 30, 2021 21:47:55 GMT -5 cgallstar02 said:

Nate Robinson was also a far better college basketball player than Mac was. Better 2pt and 3pt shooter, more rebounds/assists/steals in pretty much the same minutes per game. That's the reason he was a 1st round pick (even with his height) and Mac didn't even get an NBA combine invite. Maybe you will be proven right in the long run, but Mac is much more likely to be doing highlight dunks in China for the next decade (and making good money doing it)

"far better" seems like a bit of a stretch... his career average in pts was slightly less than Mac's... Reb's and asst's were 1 more per game. Shooting percentages were certainly better, but not a crazy difference there. That said, college stats don't mean much... Westbrook averaged 12, 4, and 4 and still went 4th overall... now he averages a triple double every season. Plenty of guys with worse stats than Mac that went lotto and plenty with amazing stats that never got drafted. Also I was not comparing Mac as a basketball player to Nate, I was using Nate as a baseline as one of the greatest pure athletes in NBA history and showcasing that Mac actually slightly outperformed him in the athletic testing at the combine. Now I'm well aware that athleticism alone does not get you into the NBA. Still, it's a great asset to have and being elite at anything will certainly get you closer to the dream. Again, I was told time and time again that Mac's athleticism was far from elite compared to NBA caliber guards... that has now been proven incorrect.

At the end of the day his lack of size, combined with a lack of pure PG skills and not being a great 3 point shooter are holding him back. That said, he can get to his spots on the floor, he can beat his man off the dribble, he can finish at the rim over taller defenders with either hand, he's excellent on the fast break, and he continues to work with Drew Hanlan on improving his 3 point shot. That's what the G League is for. Duncan Robinson was supposed to be too slow and unathletic to play in the NBA... he was not on any top 100 prospect lists nor invited to the combine. Kendrick Nunn like Mac was considered a SG in a PG body, he too was not invited to the combine. A year in the G League and they were both starting for an NBA finals team. He has the work ethic, he has the athleticism, he just needs to continue to improve his skills... particularly his 3 point shooting as that's basically what the league is all about now. 

I also think the NBA style and spacing will be advantageous for him. Watching guys like Nico Mannion and Myles Powell in the G League they were doing things they never did in college. Cole Anthony had 0 non fast break dunks in college... he had several nice ones in the half court in the NBA as a rookie. Mac didn't catch a single alley oop in 3 years of college... he caught one in the first game of the G League camp. He might not get there as a first or even second round pick... he might not get there next season... but he will get there... and when he does the same folks saying he could never do it won't acknowledge that he did it, they'll just trash his stats or role on the team. 

[professorhoya]

Jun 28, 2021 23:58:10 GMT -5 cgallstar02 said:

Of the 90 prospects that tested at the G League Elite and NBA Combine, Mac finished 1st in 3/4 court sprint (2.94), 3rd in standing vert (36), 3rd in max vert (43.5), tied for 8th in lane agility(10.76), and tied for 7th in the shuttle run (2.99).

Here's how he compares to some of the NBA's most athletic guards:

Westbrook... sprint 3.07, standing vert 30, max vert 36.5, agility 11.32
Rose... sprint 3.05, standing vert 34.5, max vert 40, agility 11.37
Donovan Mitchell... sprint 3.01, standing vert 36.5, max vert 40.5, agility 11.53, shuttle 3.07
Lillard... sprint 3.34, standing vert 34.5, max vert 39.5, agility 11.15

He beats all 4 guys in every category with exception of Mitchell who beat him in standing vert by .5 inches. Not bad for someone I was told was an at best average athlete compared to NBA guards. Or even that Akinjo would beat him in every test other than max vert. His achilles heal is his wingspan which only came in at 6'2.25"... by comparison Lillard, Westbrook and Rose have a 6'8" wingspan, and Mitchell's is 6'10".

I think Dennis Smith is a better comparison. Guy with a T Rex wingspan but huge vertical who had success in the league.

My one concern with Mac is his athleticism didn't seem to translate in the college games alot of times. Like in a Kenner setting he looked great, same with the combine but in a structured offensive system against a structured defense it seems like those athletic assets were under utilized for whatever reason. Maybe in the NBA where you can't play zone or other gimmick defense, he will excel more.

What height did he measure at? He doesn't seem like 6-2 to me. Maybe 6-0 without shoes.

[professorhoya]

Jun 28, 2021 23:15:53 GMT -5 cgallstar02 said:

I'm not sure if Drew Hanlen is the same guy that made Jeremy Lin's 3pt shot much more effective.

Lin would really try to jump as high as he could before releasing the ball.
The tweak he made right before Linsanity was to not worry about jumping as high but releasing it earlier, which led to less variables, a quicker release and more consistency. It also eliminates the problem of tired legs effecting the shot later in the game.

When you talk to Mac next, you should mention that to him and maybe reach out to Jeremy Lin for advice (if it was another shot doctor other than Drew Halen that changed Jeremy Lin's 3pt shot.

[SSHoya]

Jul 1, 2021 10:12:04 GMT -5 professorhoya said:

Jun 28, 2021 23:58:10 GMT -5 cgallstar02 said:

Of the 90 prospects that tested at the G League Elite and NBA Combine, Mac finished 1st in 3/4 court sprint (2.94), 3rd in standing vert (36), 3rd in max vert (43.5), tied for 8th in lane agility(10.76), and tied for 7th in the shuttle run (2.99).

Here's how he compares to some of the NBA's most athletic guards:

Westbrook... sprint 3.07, standing vert 30, max vert 36.5, agility 11.32
Rose... sprint 3.05, standing vert 34.5, max vert 40, agility 11.37
Donovan Mitchell... sprint 3.01, standing vert 36.5, max vert 40.5, agility 11.53, shuttle 3.07
Lillard... sprint 3.34, standing vert 34.5, max vert 39.5, agility 11.15

He beats all 4 guys in every category with exception of Mitchell who beat him in standing vert by .5 inches. Not bad for someone I was told was an at best average athlete compared to NBA guards. Or even that Akinjo would beat him in every test other than max vert. His achilles heal is his wingspan which only came in at 6'2.25"... by comparison Lillard, Westbrook and Rose have a 6'8" wingspan, and Mitchell's is 6'10".

I think Dennis Smith is a better comparison. Guy with a T Rex wingspan but huge vertical who had success in the league.

My one concern with Mac is his athleticism didn't seem to translate in the college games alot of times. Like in a Kenner setting he looked great, same with the combine but in a structured offensive system against a structured defense it seems like those athletic assets were under utilized for whatever reason. Maybe in the NBA where you can't play zone or other gimmick defense, he will excel more.

What height did he measure at? He doesn't seem like 6-2 to me. Maybe 6-0 without shoes.

Zone defenses have been allowed in the NBA since 2001-02 season, albeit used somewhat infrequently.

www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29963960/nba-playoffs-why-teams-combating-offensive-revolution-going-zone-defense

[professorhoya]

Jul 1, 2021 10:36:22 GMT -5 SSHoya said:

Jul 1, 2021 10:12:04 GMT -5 professorhoya said:

I think Dennis Smith is a better comparison. Guy with a T Rex wingspan but huge vertical who had success in the league.

My one concern with Mac is his athleticism didn't seem to translate in the college games alot of times. Like in a Kenner setting he looked great, same with the combine but in a structured offensive system against a structured defense it seems like those athletic assets were under utilized for whatever reason. Maybe in the NBA where you can't play zone or other gimmick defense, he will excel more.

What height did he measure at? He doesn't seem like 6-2 to me. Maybe 6-0 without shoes.

Zone defenses have beeb allowed in the NBA since 2001-02 season, albeit somewhat infrequently.

www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29963960/nba-playoffs-why-teams-combating-offensive-revolution-going-zone-defense

But it's not a real zone because I think there's still a 3 second rule or something.

[professorhoya]

Jun 28, 2021 23:58:10 GMT -5 cgallstar02 said:

Of the 90 prospects that tested at the G League Elite and NBA Combine, Mac finished 1st in 3/4 court sprint (2.94), 3rd in standing vert (36), 3rd in max vert (43.5), tied for 8th in lane agility(10.76), and tied for 7th in the shuttle run (2.99).

I would also advise you to advise Mac that there's a good possibility that he could come back to college even after hiring an agent. With the new Supreme Court rule on making money in college basketball, you can hire an agent in college. So that would negate the whole can't go back to college after hiring an agent. Mac could make alot of money off name and likeness with one more year at Texas Tech or whereever.