With Jalen Johnson unavailable due to a wrist injury, the Hawks have been experimenting a little more with different frontcourt combinations, including playing centers Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu alongside one another, writes Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required).
The pairing is very much a work in progress, particularly on the offensive end, but it showed some intriguing potential against bigger teams like San Antonio and Milwaukee, according to Williams.
“There’s certain times in the game where that allows itself and there’s certain matchups where I think it pays dividends defensively,” head coach Quin Snyder said. “(Saturday vs. Milwaukee) was one of those nights).”
For his part, Okongwu is on board with the idea of handling power forward alongside Capela if it means he’ll get an opportunity to play a little more.
“Whatever it takes for me to be on the court longer, I’ll do it,” Okongwu said. “Playing the four, it’s obviously is an adjustment but nothing I can’t do.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Hornets guard LaMelo Ball still has a noticeable limp and isn’t expected to return anytime soon, but he’s no longer wearing a walking boot, tweets Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. That’s a promising first step in Ball’s recovery from a severely sprained right ankle, which he’s scheduled to have reevaluated this week.
- Buoyed by a seven-game winning streak in the first half of November, the Heat are 11-9 after 20 games, but many of their victories have come against subpar competition and they’ve lost four of their last five contests. Jimmy Butler kept coming back to one word when describing the team’s performance so far, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “We stand right where we don’t want to be, which is very mediocre, not good, not bad, not great, not any of those things,” Butler said. “Just mediocre. You talk about our offense has been mediocre. You talk about our defense has been mediocre. That’s the word I would use.”
- Mac McClung, who has been playing for the Magic‘s G League affiliate this season, was named the NBAGL’s player of the month for November, the league announced on Monday (Twitter link). McClung averaged 25.4 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game in nine November contests for the Osceola Magic, but isn’t under contract with Orlando — the 2023 slam dunk champion remains an NBA free agent, available to sign with any team.
McClung is a mad athlete
Maybe someone will give him a chance
He’s mad? About what, being in the g league? Never heard of any attitude stuff with him. Maybe just needs time to mature.
His problem is defense. He needs to work on his defense and not worry about scoring.
Mad Athlete aka Mad Skilz aka a ton of athleticism
He’s been given a chance every single year. He’s been given a chance right now. There’s scouts at every single one of these games keeping an eye on Who’s down there and who’s signed and who isn’t.
Here’s the bottom line. Mac McClung plays like a starter. Scoring 25 a game. That’s NOT what you want from your third string point guard.
He’s not good enough to start in the NBA and he’s not good enough to be the backup point guard in the NBA.
So if he’s going to stick he has to be the third string point guard and you don’t want that guy looking for his own.
You want that guy to have very few points and zero turnovers and get good run for the other four scrubs on the floor at that time with him !! That’s the goal, that’s what the coach wants.
Not some guy trying to prove he belongs in the league by getting 18 points in 9 minutes.
You’ll notice so many fans don’t understand this part of the NBA. Professionals whose jobs are to determine roster spots know this obviously because he’s not on a roster. LOL Fans cry, professionals understand.
An actual chance would be for him to get rotation NBA minutes.
I guarantee you if he can shoot 46%/38% with a ast/to ratio of 2.75 as a reserve he would help a team.
Maybe this season a team will do more than put him on a roster but never play him.
This is one of the worst takes I’ve ever read on here, and there’s been plenty. There are plenty of score-first bench guards in the league, and there have been plenty in the past. Saying teams don’t want their bench guards scoring with the second unit is ridiculous. Every team will take a guy who can create “18 points in 9 minutes” off the bench.
Cam, 3rd string.
He simply not good enough for the second team.
And if you’re right that EVERY team would take that, then why hasn’t ANY team taken that?
You’re only calling this one of the worst takes because you don’t understand it. Those who don’t understand, criticize.
But make no mistake, I love the guy. Perfect attitude, hasn’t given up, sticks with it, works on his game, is an incredible athlete, and just goes to work.
Doesn’t cry doesn’t whine I’ve never heard him say anything about being handed a raw deal ever. Perfect example to follow and emulate.
But he’s been given a decent hand. He’s playing basketball for a living. When he realizes his NBA Dream might not be realized he could go overseas to fill his bank account for life.
Probably should stay here in the G League in the hopes he can kick-start an NBA career. Perhaps he can make a roster on someone’s team as the 15th man for a whole season? Maybe someone will like his attitude or something? Fingers crossed for him.
Maybe like Jimmer at around age close to 30, he’ll go somewhere else and dominate.
Mac is a very talented player, but his defense will always be an issue with him. He’s like Tyler Herro in that his wingspan is identical to his height or shorter. On defense, that’s a clear liability. The only guy I can think of who has that and isn’t bad on defense is Mason Plumlee, and he has the advantage of just being big in general.
Herro is a natural scorer and has playmaking chops, but there were always questions about his ability to start despite being a lottery pick, and some still question it. McClung has the same questions, just about his ability stick in the NBA because he didn’t get drafted.
Why was he aloud to compete for the dunk contest anyway. Silver is destroying the NBA. Fire silver