Saturday, July 20, 2013

McLemore Posterizing Dunk

Ben Mclemore throws down a huge dunk on a dish from fellow 2013 Kings draft pick, Ray MacCalum.  This was a big boost in confidence for Mclemore as he struggled most of the games in Las Vegas.  

In 5 games in Vegas Mclemore had two standout performances, his third and fifth game where he scored 26 and 27 respectively.  Those two games were very impressive as Mclemore hit threes and showed off his athletic ability on numerous occasions.

Mclemore had ZERO assists in five games and 30 minutes per game in Vegas which is concerning but while watching him I noticed him make some nice passes on plays where his teammates got fouled at the rim or missed/dropped an easy basket opportunity.  He also seemed to force some shots but he was told to be very aggressive and take shots and make plays where Cousins will do more of in the regular season.  It will also be a huge benefit for Mclemore to play with Grevis Vasquez who will set up threes and layups for him.

MacCalum had a standout Summer League and I believe he could be a very good guard in this league if he gets the chance which might be hard this year behind Vasquez, Isaiah Thomas, and Jimmer Freddette.  He averaged 12 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds while playing 30 minutes a game in the backcourt next to Mclemore and those two seem to have a little chemistry.

I expect Ben Mclemore to play a sixth or seventh man next year in favor of Marcus Thornton starting. I can see Mclemore averaging 13 points and 4 rebounds while shooting 40% from three point range and making the all rookie first team.