[Highlight] Mac McClung nails his first triple as a Pacer
Get ready league, the pacers have a new high energy white guy.
He’s the third one on the roster.
I said NEW
My reading comprehension is bad. I am from Indiana after all.
Don’t do the voice
But this one can dunk
Have you seen the funny speaking one?
Only over his teammate’s head though
Did bro not see furph in the summer league
Can’t wait until he drops something crazy in game
Glad to see him getting playing time
Frustrating that he can shoot but he was never elevated from the Magic G league team to play.
If he was in the Heat G league he’d be Luka combined with MJ by now
as long as he stayed with the heat lol
Until some other team gives him a huge contract and he turns into a pumpkin
He did play last season just never any meaningful minutes
He could , or should have been on a team 4 -5 years ago. His motor never stops running and the dude can play . I hope he gets a real chance now.
I refuse to believe he wasn’t good enough to be a deep bench guy at a minimum.
Teams would rather carry a tall guy who can barely defend 3 positions rather than a short point scoring guard.
Hitting shots is the easiest thing about basketball. Guarding 6’8” dudes is not. He could very well be “better” than the 12th guy off the bench but it’s just not what most teams need for ~5-10 minutes.
Hitting 3s consistently is one of the most important things you can do and can elevate a bad player to a great player.
Undersized dudes who can shoot and can’t guard a fly are a dime a dozen.
Is MacClung a bad defender
yeah, curry would be unplayable if he didn’t shoot 43% from 3. (/s)
case-in-point HASHEEM THABEEEEEET. dude held a roster spot for like 6 years with the thunder just cause he was tall as wemby, with literally nothing else going for him.
UConn legend!
We have 2 players from last years primary 8 man rotation playing. Then 1 from the 10 man rotation. like 40% of our minutes are g-league minutes right now.
I guess scouts see something that wont translate to the NBA but it seems odd that he can be a gleague all-star and MVP and cant even get on the end of the bench on a team. There are so many teams at the bottom devoid of talent so why not just let him get 20 minutes and see what happens. Indiana this season may be a great spot for him
scouts don’t always get it right. its not an exact science. We have austin reaves dominating the leauge wihtout being drafted, same with another former laker in Caruso.
I think its reasonable to see him on a roster especially on the nets where they aren’t even trying. He had two games in philly where he almost got a triple double in one. it doesn’t mean hes going to be a star or do that all the time but he clearly can play at an nba level
his defense is his big concern, but there are guys off the bench who spot minutes or injury minutes who can be interjections of offense bc he can create offense and is much more than a dunker.
there are a lot of fringe nba players like him, Lin, even Gp2 spent years in and out of the gleague that could do something with the right rope. If you’re not one of those special guys who are going to get the ball you have to be in the right place at the right time to find your niche
Indiana is still a tough spot for him bc they are strong at the guard position especially when TJ comes back. But lakers now coudl use him for offense(he started out there), Netes could use hiim bc they arent even trying to do anything, I’d even give him a shot in Utah and or phoenix
His D is not bad, he had 2 steals and a block tonight.
its like redick, can you make up for a lack of lateral foot speed by playing the game plan and being a good communicator. its possible. I don’t think he’ll ever be a ball stopping pg, but theres things he can do to lessen that side of things. He is active off ball ,in the lanes, and using his explosiveness to get to the ball on that and blocks
so he can contribute
thats what I mean, he is an offensive catalyst. he can at least make a contribution for 10-15 as energy and offensive jolt. i think like jeremy lin, narratives stick in this league and they dont want to seem unserious getting players with this type of reputation when frankly both can play some role .
the guy could be making millions in the asian teams, but hes trying to grind and push for his dream. Mac Mclung is a solid story.
not sure it will be in indy with their roster make up, but glad he is getting a shot
He could be someone’s TJ McConnell if he plays his cards right. Quick offensive burst and sneaky/aggressive defense. Not a great defender but TJ throws in so much randomness and is always sneaking around that you can’t forget about him.
If Mac could inherit that skill, he’d easily be on multiple rosters as he’s more athletic and probably a better 3 point shooter than TJ.
I mean he can make an impact, but TJ is probably only compared as being undersized white guys. But I agree that he has an unrelentless motor so you can’t really sleep on him
TJ is a lackluster shooter/scorer, but he’ll give you full court defense as an absolute relentless pest, protect the ball and able to get in the middle and dish it out well. He’s pretty unique given shooting is his weakpoint too, but he’s made his way into the league for sure.
Outside of the size, Mac Mclung is a jump out of the gym athlete but unlike TJ he doesn’t have the same lateral athleticism and isn’t known as a great 1-1 defender who can pick up full. He is explosive however so he can be a weakside team defender and get in the lanes and get stocks. He is great in transition and as a finisher be it dunking or taking contact and laying it up, has improved and is more comfortable shooting and just being a catalyst on offense.
Like TJ he’ll need a coach who believes in him, some window of opportunity for guard scoring. I think he has the talent if he gets in the right place and right time. But I think his best hope on defense is being more or less neutral and for a 10-15 minute position or an injury insurance that is still serviceable when he gets hot on offense
Reaves would have been drafted in the second round by Pistons but he didn’t want to be there.
Him going undrafted is him betting on himself.
point stands as in being a 2nd rounder is not even a guarantee to make opening night roster. Still many teams passed him up he’d be a top 10 pick in a redraft . scouting just isn’t an exact science no matter what you throw at it
Being a late second rounder or undrafted- obviously the distinction isn’t significant enough
Not odd at all. He got those gleague accolades playing a certain way and that archetype isn’t what NBA teams are looking for in a gleague prospect. They aren’t gonna ask and allow him to play that way either now that he’s actually on an nba roster.
it is odd, the NBA is a bush league that doesnt respect its own development league.. If the G League MVP isnt at least getting a shot, something is off
You must be new to basketball, or at least the NBA. The GLeague has never been 1:1 equivalent to what the Minors are to the MLB. It’s not and hasn’t ever been a true farm system to the NBA. It’s better now than the the past of course but NBA teams never truly look at the GLeague for talent or development.
Here’s Alex Caruso giving you a little insight into it.
https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/jraeyj/caruso_a_big_reason_guys_get_stuck_in_the_gleague/
bro do you know how to read? You are literally agreeing and talking as if you aren’t. I think you meant to say “yeah 100% to further your point…” because everything you just said lines up with the obvious point I was making when I said at the beginning of my comment…“The Nba is a bush league”…and at the end said “something is off”
It’s not “off” or “odd” as you say because that’s how it’s always been.if you want to blame me for “not being able to read” then maybe use the right words for what you’re actually trying to say.
I did use the right words. I don’t mean to insult you but literacy rates and levels have dropped dramatically over the years. If you take this moment and internalize it, it will help your life and career.
You might ask why I insulted you? It’s because you insulted me.
When you read something you gotta understand 2 things
The beginning and the end are 99% of the time going to tell you what the entire point of what is being said.
You gotta expand your vocabulary and if you aren’t sure of the meaning of the word you gotta look at the context of the entire paragraph
I know the internet is a safe place to let your ego run rampant….but please for the sake of yourself and society - just internalize what I’m saying, learn from it and move along.
This is a bad take. The gleague talent is nowhere near what’s in the NBA. Being the best player in the Gleague doesn’t mean anything when it comes to playing NBA minutes.
Let me give Daishen Nix as an example. Dude is a Gleague star (for lack of a better word) but when we played him during our tanking years, he played bad enough to give watchers an aneurysm even if the entire point was to lose games.
Nix isn’t an accurate one. The dude is 6’5 and still shot under 40 percent in the g-league. He couldn’t stay in shape, didnt see mprofessional in that regard, was low energy and terrible basketball instinct
Mcclung last year as mvp averaged 25 on 47 percent.
Its nuanced bc basketball is about cohesion, the way the offense plays generates your opportunities . For Mcclung for a team that is stagnant off the defense he can do what he does for 10-15 minutes or off injury insurance and be a catalyst and make a difference. I think hes more comprable to Lin and or Gp2 in that they had many on and off opportunities and but in the right role and opportunity they can be a contributor at some nba level
I chose nix as an example cause it hit closer to home for me. There are definitely more players who seem to dominate the gleague but are unable to make any significant contributions to an nba roster.
fair there are. I don’t think its been a great launching pad and they have a defense problem and playing a transferable offense
talent is still good, but yea it really just depends. I can see Mac’s skillset both his aggression, athleticsism and offense transferring over to SOME contribution in an nba team. could that be spot minutes off the bench, insurance for an injury? but he does have the ability to make a differnece
Nix…just in any world despite being shoved high volume just is not a ball player. he was one of thoes 6’5 PGs in high school that were enticing who never really got better and doesnt play like he even loves basketball
Because the NBA isn’t full of the best players in the world anymore. There are NBA calibre players not in the NBA, because teams are looking for specific skill sets to build teams around.
Mac simply doesn’t have anything unique about him. He’s just an average player, who GENERALLY isn’t going to be the solution to most teams problems. They would rather try and develop a player with more upside, or fix weaknesses in the roster. Players aren’t being taken purely based on skill/potential anymore.
In this circumstance, he did happen to be who the pacers could take though.
You’re missing the point entirely by using an anecdotal example. The point is that if you have a development league the best players should be getting a shot, if that’s not happening there is something severly wrong that needs to be fixed. Either in how talent is being evaluated, developed or even just the willingness of teams to experiment
Youre telling me the bottom 3-4 guys on the roster are all better than a G league MVP?
“A big reason guys get stuck in G League It is because they do not realize the position for which they are trying themselves. They don’t understand their role. It’s like going to a job interview thinking you’re going to be the CFO of the company and they’re looking for someone to clean the bathrooms.”
- Alex Caruso
One of my biggest mysteries of “how is this dude not in the NBA” is that one game played by Carsen Edwards for Celtics in 2019 in the summer league
This is Steph level shooting
Imagine you play a game like this, and they tell you “bro, you aint good enough, sorry”
Like, what more could he do ? His release is super quick, he scores those, he is bouncy, he is OKish on defense ..
He was the gleague leading scorer one season. The nba is very aware of what he is.
Hes a shoot first PG that is under 6 ft with very little lateral quickness for his size.
He can shoot deep. He can’t split double teams, unless you count forcing a bad shot. He is a negative defender on and off ball. His shot has him jumping max height just to get his shot off. So his energy is not sustainable and it shows with little to no effort on defense.
Defenders dont even have a hand up in the majority of these highlights
Agreed. He’s one of those guys that leaves you scratching your head at some of the decision making being done by teams at the lower level of the league. I as a bulls fan would rather be giving him minutes over Huerter or Okoro.
scouts have missed based on visual appearances before (jeremy lin)
It’s the height and wingspan that are serious issues. But honestly I think he could be a white Isaiah Thomas
People can have a skillset that would make them a good player to build a team around and also need that to be at their best, but not suited for what you’d need out of a role player. And if you are that type of player but not good enough to be that player on a nba team, they often don’t have any real use for you… despite you excelling in a lower league where you can be that guy.
like caruso said, sometimes in the g league they are looking for the janitor, not the ceo.
if you are a lead scorer, you have to be an elite scorer to get playing time. Players that can fill in roles alongside the actual superstar are what is valuable.
already more points than Bronny this season
Earned vs Given. Mac didn’t have a daddy that got him a roster spot. He fought and clawed his way to an NBA team despite numerous roster cuts.
daring today aren’t we
[deleted]
That’s the joke
What did the deleted comment say?
Something like “it’s not a hot take to think that”
alright, thanks.
He got the free throw too. 4 point play!
McClung going to win the 3 point contest next?!?
Magic fans in suicide watch if this happens
McClung jerseys are about to go triple platinum in Avon and Zionsville.
Missed opportunity to name drop Whitestown
It was so weird to me that the Magic didn’t even give him a decent shot.
Their biggest weakness was shooting and playmaking and they could have at least tried if McClung could help them on that end off the bench.
We’re obsessed with defense for some reason
This is Johnathan Isaac’s breakout year I just know it
For some reason? Defense is a very important part of an aspiring championship team. Everyone in the NBA can score but can you get a stop?
>Everyone in the NBA can score
People really, really need to stop saying this lol. I know you’ve had Curry for the past decade+ but scoring is an actual skill people can have and not have. I’ve watched this team be bottom 10 in offense **EVERY SINGLE YEAR** since Dwight left. At some point, like KD famously said, you need to get buckets actually. Defense doesnt win championships by itself
It was the lack of defense. But then we just added Tyus Jones, so wtf do I know?
Lack of defence yet if he was one inch taller, he would be on every team would want him on their roster as a bench scorer
Oh hey another talented former Sixer prospect who Doc Rivers never wanted to play so he could instead put washed veterans on the floor instead
I’m sorry, he couldn’t hear you over ESTABLISHED VETERANS!
I’m genuinely so happy for him
Happy for him. Fuck the haters
McClung has haters?
5 points in 5 minutes
Gotta dunk those, Mac!
Will always cheer for Mac.
Glad the Pacers took a flyer on Matt. He deserves to be on an NBA team.
Headbands are the official accessory of the scrappy gym rat
Throughout the playoffs last year we only saw the Statement jersey so I kinda didn’t realize the blue pacer jerseys are lowkey pretty nice too. Might be irrelevant but whatever
My boy Mac McHung
Wreck Em Tech
He’s easily better than Bronny… come on man
He has a nice contract too. Happy for him! About time!
Dunk king
LETS GO HOYAS
Your uncle’s favorite player, but you don’t ask why!
So happy for him. I remember him and AR starting summer league for the Lakers as rookies. I thought they would keep Mac cuz he had such an amazing motor and such great leadership. So I’m glad he’s finally seeing some playing time. A lot of grit.
Whoa I only thought he could dunk lmao
While it doesn’t speak for all of his skills I do think it’s a huge disservice by the NBA to have this man win three dunk contest (the last one they basically begged for him to be in) and he can’t get at least a full year on a NBA squad. Yes he’s a bit short and his defense isn’t best but he could easily be a high motor slasher/alley oop role player, you telling me he isn’t worth a 12-15th spot in the league on any team?
Am I the only one confused at what the foul was for?
McClung and Huff this season, the vibes are immaculate
The timeline is healing
Wait he can play basketball?
soft foul