LAS VEGAS — Fewer than two weeks ago, Mac McClung was donning Lakers threads and going against the Warriors in the California Classic.
But McClung, now a member of Golden State, turned heads with his crafty playmaking and exciting on-court presence in his first two games with the Warriors.
McClung, 22, joined Golden State last week for a better opportunity after the Lakers brought him off the bench during the California Classic. He’s serving as a replacement for second-round selection Ryan Rollins, who will miss all of summer league with a stress fracture in his foot, but is eager to make a lasting impression on the Warriors coaching staff.
So far, he’s been doing just that.
McClung was the No. 2 scorer in each of his first two summer league games with Golden State. The 6-foot firecracker scored 17 points and snatched four rebounds in his Warriors debut Friday and added 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting with six assists and six rebounds in Sunday’s win. McClung has made several noteworthy plays, including a behind-the-back pass for a fast-break basket and a step-back 3-pointer with a defender in his face.
“He’s been exciting, right?” assistant coach Jama Mahlalela said after practice Monday. “You saw his performance [Sunday], his ability to get to the hoop. We didn’t know he could do that at that high level. … If he can become elite as a shooter then you add that to his penetration then you’re looking at NBA talent, but his competitiveness for sure is at an NBA level, his care factor. We’re excited and if we can help propel his career in any way possible, that’s a great honor for us.”
McClung is coming off a Rookie of the Year campaign in the G League, where he averaged 21.6 points, 7.5 assists and 6.9 rebounds. He went to battle against many of the players on the Warriors’ summer squad last season, including Moses Moody and Quinndary Weatherspoon. McClung dropped a combined 58 points in three games against the Santa Cruz Warriors last season, including a 37-point showing Feb. 7.
After experiencing the Mac Attack firsthand, players who knew what McClung can do joked with the former Georgetown and Texas Tech star that it was good to see him on “their side” now.
“It’s been great,” McClung said of the last week with the Warriors. “I’m just blessed to be in this situation and make the most of it.”
McClung believes he’s in a better position to succeed now after a year of G League play under his belt, though there are still many areas of his game he needs to improve to make it at the NBA level. He needs to improve his 3-point shooting and shore up his defense.
“This year in the G League, that’s when I feel I started to become a real point guard. I’m going to continue to grow, I have a lot [of room] to grow, and I got a lot to improve on,” McClung said. “… I definitely want to learn the ins and outs of the point guard, the pace and everything like that.”
It seems highly unlikely that McClung will stay with the Warriors once the summer showcase ends considering that Golden State will want to see what it has in Rollins. But McClung is making a convincing argument for the Warriors to keep him on their G League roster or for other teams to consider picking him up.
“I love to win, and that’s what this [Warriors] program does, so it would mean the world to me” to stay with Golden State, McClung said. “But I’m just going to stay the course and everything’s on God’s time.”
