Getty Mac McClung drives to the hoop in a Golden State Warriors Summer League game.
A flashy Summer League stint may not be enough for Mac McClung to find a spot on the Golden State Warriors‘ roster this upcoming season, an insider predicts.
The former Texas Tech and G League standout showed flashes of strong play through the Las Vegas showcase, turning in a series of highlight reel plays and connecting with some of the Warriors’ other young stars. But Madeline Kenney of the Mercury News predicted that it won’t be enough for McClung to supplant some of the team’s other promising young stars and earn a spot on the 15-man roster for the coming season.
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McClung Earns Praise
While the big story of Golden State’s Summer League season was the long-awaited return of big man James Wiseman, McClung caught attention with his highlight-reel passes. In the team’s July 17 finale, McClung grabbed some viral attention with a behind-the-back pass that led to a Wiseman dunk.
Through four games, McClung averaged 13.3 points while making 50 percent of his three-pointers. Warriors assistant coach Jama Mahlalela, who is leading the Summer League squad, shared some praise for McClung earlier in the week but did not commit to whether he would have a future with the Warriors.
“He’s been exciting, right?” Jama Mahlalela said on July 11, via the Mercury News. “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.”
Mac McClung was a walking highlight reel in his summer league finale 🔥
Kenney predicted it would be “highly unlikely” that McClung stays with the Warriors, especially since the team is expected to keep a spot on the roster for rookie Ryan Rollins. McClung was a Summer Leauge fill-in for Rollins, who was sidelined after the team discovered a fracture in his foot during his first physical with the team.
Big Plans for Rollins
Despite the injury, Rollins is still expected to play heavily into the team’s plans for the upcoming season. The Athletic’s Anthony Slater noted that the Warriors signed guard Donte DiVincenzo for less than the full taxpayer midlevel exception, helping leave roughly $2 million to work on a deal for Rollins.
“They still have plans on rostering second-round pick Ryan Rollins, a combo guard, and need a chunk of that mid-level to sign him to a multi-year deal,” Slater noted.
“I am a smooth player. A smooth playmaker.”
GSW 6”4 rookie guard, Ryan Rollins said his game his similar to Warriors legend, Shaun Livingston. Ryan has a 6’10 wingspan.
He also told me a bit about his upbringing in the West Side of Detroit.
Rollins is still expected to be back in time for the team’s training camp. Dr. Nirav Pandya, an injury analyst for 95.7 The Game, noted that the kind of fracture he suffered usually comes with a recovery time measured in weeks rather than months.
“Tough injury for Ryan Rollins,” he tweeted. “These injuries typically take 10-14 weeks before returning to play. If treated surgically, it can be even longer. Re-fracture is a concern as well. The good news is that once healed, there is typically minimal impact on performance.”
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