Why Mac McClung is not playing in the NBA? / News - Basketnews.com

Mac McClung struggles to secure a solid spot in the NBA due to challenges in defending against versatile wings, limited effectiveness in prevalent defensive strategies, and his general size.

Credit: AP - Scanpix Credit AP - Scanpix

In the high-stakes world of professional basketball, every inch counts. For players like Mac McClung, whose explosive athleticism and scoring prowess have dazzled fans, the dream of a long-term, impactful NBA career can be overshadowed by one undeniable reality: size matters.

Mac McClung

Position:PGAge:25Height:188 cmWeight:83 kgBirth place:Virginia, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

Despite his accolades, including a recent MVP honor in the NBA G League and back-to-back NBA Slam Dunk championships, McClung finds himself on the fringes of NBA rosters, with only fleeting opportunities to prove himself on the grand stage.

Why? The answer lies in the evolving dynamics of the modern game.

In today's NBA, the prevalence of lengthy wings with multifaceted skill sets has marginalized undersized guards like McClung. Standing at 6'2", he faces an uphill battle against towering opponents who can not only match his scoring output but also provide defensive versatility and playmaking prowess.

The numbers tell a stark story: only a handful of players his size are making significant impacts in the NBA.

There are only 4 players right now in the NBA who stand at 6'1" or below and average at least 15 points. Leading the charge for this endangered species are Trae Young, Fred VanVleet, Darius Garland, and Terry Rozier. A decade ago, we had twice as many, with the likes of Isaiah Thomas, Chris Paul, and Kyle Lowry leading the pack.

Consider this: if we set the bar at a modest 5 points per game, with at least half of the games played, only 18 players meet this criterion. This means that, on average, only every other NBA team has an undersized guard on their roster. Compare this to a decade ago when there were 25 such players.

Now, let's again raise the standard to 10 points per game, indicative of a solid role player. The gap between past and present widens further, with only 7 players meeting this threshold compared to 17 in 2014.

However, even such credentials don't guarantee a spot on an NBA team. Where do these players go? Many find themselves in the EuroLeague. Take Mike James, for example, who recently became the EuroLeague's all-time scorer. Markus Howard, a former NBA player himself, is making waves in Europe with his dynamic style of play. Shane Larkin, once an NBA draft pick, has found success as a two-time EuroLeague champion.

The disparity between Europe and the NBA extends further: in Europe, 8 players 6'1" or shorter rank in the top 50 scorers, while in the NBA, only Trae Young makes the cut.

For players like McClung, the appeal of the NBA remains strong, even as Europe beckons.

"It's not that I don't want to go overseas, it's that my goal is to play in the NBA," McClung told Heavy's Sean Deveney last year. "If it takes going overseas to do that, to put me in that situation, that is what I'll do. ... I'm not knocking anything out. I have nothing against overseas."

Defense reliability is another topic that makes McClung's NBA stocks go down.

Wings that dominate the NBA right now can guard multiple positions. And since every franchise desires to have as many of them as possible, undersized guards get killed on defense.

They can get away with it in a random regular-season matchup, but in the playoffs, when the game slows down, when every team starts matchup-hunting on almost every possession, that's when it becomes a huge problem.

The most-used defense in the NBA is switching, and it's undoubtedly the worst you can use having an undersized guard. It's a constant mismatch with them going against much taller, stronger players, who are more skilled than ever offensively.

Few teams are double-teaming or hedging due to the insane amount of space the NBA court has. If not switching, a lot of teams play drop with the big dropping in the paint. In this defensive assignment, small guards are responsible for contesting the shot from behind, but how you want them to do so if their wingspans are very limited?

The counterplay would be for those undersized guards to outscore their flaws on the other end, but as mentioned in the beginning, you need special talent to do so in the modern NBA. You need to have Trae Young type of skills.

To put it briefly, excelling in today's NBA requires not only offensive prowess but also the ability to overcome defensive shortcomings.

Analysis of undersized guards in NBA and Europe:

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