Warriors’ Summer Standout Faces Adversity in International Play

If we’re being honest, the Golden State Warriors‘ summer league experience left something to be desired where fans’ expectations were concerned. Jonathan Kuminga logged one of the worst efforts of his pro career in his summer debut, James Wiseman showed his inexperience at times and, outside of his 34-point eruption, Moses Moody was simply OK.

That’s not to say that Dub Nation didn’t have anything to get excited about, though. For his part, Mac McClung emerged from the ether to put up numbers and highlight plays.

Over seven summer league appearances, the 23-year-old point man averaged 13.3 points, 3.9 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists in just 22.4 minutes per game. He also knocked down 46.2% of his long-range attempts.

Not only did that performance net him a camp deal with Golden State, it earned him a spot on Team USA for the latest batch of FIBA World Cup qualifiers as well. Alas, he wasn’t given much of an opportunity with the national team.

McClung Only Got a Taste

The Americans went toe-to-toe with Uruguay (on August 25) and Colombia (Aug. 29) to open up the second round of World Cup qualification. And just as it had during the last leg of qualifiers in July, the national team secured a pair of big wins.

McClung wasn’t given much of a chance to contribute to those victories, though.

Over the two-game set, McClung played just 19 total minutes, going 1-for-3 from the field, 3-for-4 from the line and averaging 2.5 points, 1.0 rebounds and 0.5 steals per contest. He also committed five fouls.

Nevertheless, the Warriors guard was able to make an impression on US coach Jim Boylen during the run-up to those games, just as he did with Dubs decision-makers several weeks earlier.

“He has a toughness, especially an offensive toughness, which you don’t always see in guys,” Boylen said of McClung, via USABasketball.com. “I think the biggest deal with him is he plays at full speed, every possession in every moment.”

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He’s Probably Not Sweating What Happened

While his Team USA run may not have played out as he had hoped — instead, he got stuck on the bench behind the program vets — it’s probably safe to say that the experience won’t get him down. McClung is no stranger to facing adversity, after all.

“My entire life has kind of been an undrafted story,” McClung said, again via USAB. “I had a couple people that I really respect in the NBA game say I’m going to go undrafted and this is going to be my lane. I’m going to be counted out, I’m going to have to get it through the G League.

“I said, ‘Well, I’m gonna do it.’”

If his summer run with the Dubs, his camp deal and the fact that he gave up even more of his offseason to represent his country are any indication, he’s still doing it now.

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