Mac McClung, the best NBA dunkerator … that does not play in the NBA
Mac McClung, the three -time champion of the NBA competition in the NBA, adds just five games in the league after debuting with four different teams. Why hasn’t you received a chance at the highest level?
In San Francisco, Mac McClung He received his most recent championship trophy as the best architect of NBA of the hands of Julius Erving. In 1976, Erving was the winner of the first dive competition, organized by the extinct ABA. In those times, the contest was not only synonymous with adrenaline, but of prestige: three of the first six tournament champions are in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
During the beginnings of this tournament, always held in the NBA All-Star Weekendit was common for winners, like Erving, Dominique Wilkins and Michael Jordanwere great stars – but also those who did not reach victory, like Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, George Gervin and David Thompsonthey were synonyms with the best in history.
Being a good dunkeador traditionally represents having elite qualities in basketball: being athletic and spectacular enough to live on the hoop. Walk on the air and make it look easy. Jordan, Erving and Wilkins have followed stars such as Kobe Bryant (Champion in 1997), Vince Carter (2000), Dwight Howard (2008), Blake Griffin (2011) and Donovan Mitchell (2018).
That is why the curious case of Mac McClung, champion three times consecutively, contrasts with the history of the Slam Dunk Answ: McClung is a level at level G League; He adds just five games in the NBA, and apparently he will continue waiting for his opportunity to show that he has enough to compete at the highest level. But why hasn’t you received it so far?
The nailed, with prestige in decline
While the names of Jordan, Kobe, Erving and Carter are eternally linked to the history of this event, the reality is that the prestige of this has been decreasing over the years. In 1998, the League decided to do without it during the All-Star Weekend, a situation that, coupled with the 1999 labor dispute, meant that it was not until the 2000 that was disputed again.
The edition of that year put Carter in front of his cousin and teammate at the Toronto Raptors, Tracy Mcgraryface to face. The result was electric, and revived the public’s interest in the nailed. But just a year later, the list of participants was quite less prestige: only Baron Davis de Charlotte stood out. With some notable exceptions such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George, Jaylen Brown and Damian Lillardthe vast majority of current NBA stars have been completely distanced from competition.
LeBron Jamesconsidered the heir of Michael Jordan In many ways, he shone for his ability to execute spectacular nailed especially at the beginning of his career – he has never participated in the Slam Dunk Contest, and despite following his 40 years, it seems that there will be no opportunity to see him there before the retirement.
“I don’t think it was something I wanted to do in my career; It is not a goal and never was when you arrived at the NBA, ”James said in 2023.
The NBA basketball has evolved in recent years to be a sport much more associated with the shot of three than the nailed. This is also reflected in All-Star Weekend, where players of much more prestige are aimed year after year to dispute the NBA triple contest.
Stephen Curry, Jalen Brunson, Jayson Tatum, brings Youngand the Brown, Mitchell and Lillard are just some of the names that have played the contest in the last five years.
Age, defensive and physical limitations – factors against McClung
McClung is the MVP prevailing in the G League, the NBA Development League, after a season in which its main statistics were 24.7 points, 6.5 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game. However, that did not earn him to play a single game during the 2023-24 season with the Orlando Magicteam that owns their rights.
Although stars like Pascal Siakam of the Indiana Pacers, and Khris Middleton of the Washington Wizards are examples of “graduate” elements of the G League, succeeding there is no guarantee of sustaining or even ensuring a short -term NBA race. Of the other 23 winners of the MVP of the G League, none has been able to stand out in the NBA after winning the prize.
At 26, McClung is facing the last part of his career in which he can consolidate as part of a full -time NBA rotation. In addition, McClung measures 6’2 ”(1.88 meters), a size that only the truly better are forgiven in the league in terms of offensive, such as Curry, Brunson, Lillard and Ja Morant. In the NBA, only 3% of all players measure 1.88 or less.
Like players like Curry and Lillard, a lack of defensive tenacity is mentioned as part of the McClung limitations. The difference is, obviously, the proven capacity of the players previously mentioned as some of the most dangerous elements in offensive throughout the league.
Is there a future?
The cases of McClung’s size and defensive players in the NBA history are rare, but exist. Players even more guys than him, such as Muggsy Bogues (1.60), Spud Webb (1.68), Nate Robinson and Isaiah Thomas (both of 1.75) have managed to have longevas races at the highest level of basketball.
In the few games that McClung has played in the NBA, he has shown good skills as a scorer, as well as from the distance of three points. With the Philadelphia 76ers In the 2022-23 season, the team gave McClung 33 minutes in the final match of the regular season, against the Brooklyn Nets. The former Texas Tech player at NCAA level scored 20 points and distributed nine assists on that occasion.
The reality seems to indicate that, for McClung to have that opportunity, a team with little to lose will have to acquire their rights to allow you to develop with regular minutes at the NBA level. That is, who really gives the opportunity to the three -time champion of the dive competition must be a team perhaps out of containment.
That, unless countless injuries with their current club, Orlando Magic, most likely will not happen. The team is located on the periphery of the play-in in the absence of less than 20 regular season games, and each duel is a war to return to the postseason, as they did last year, where by the way, McClung did not receive a single minute of opportunity, leaving the G League as the only scenario of his talent.
