Monroe: Spurs' McClinton Combines Sharpshooting, Defense

Spurs' McClinton combines sharpshooting, defense
Mike Monroe

When you're the 51st selection in the NBA draft, you try harder to make a good first impression.

Jack McClinton, a 6-foot-1 shooting star from the University of Miami, showed up Thursday to meet his prospective bosses on the Spurs looking as if he had stepped off the cover of GQ Magazine. His dark gray, pinstriped suit was set off perfectly by a hot pink tie, and he wore a well-shined pair of black leather dress shoes.

Then he got a look at a piece of clothing that looked nattier than anything he'd ever seen in a fashion magazine: A white Spurs home jersey, No. 33, trimmed in silver and black, with “McClinton” emblazoned across the back.

“You want me to put this on right now?” he said to Spurs general manager R.C. Buford as he held up the jersey and posed for photos.

The game jersey will have to wait for the Spurs' first preseason game in October. In the interim, McClinton promised to work hard to prove to Buford and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich that selecting him was no mistake.

Like DeJuan Blair, who dropped to the Spurs at pick No. 37, McClinton has something to prove to the teams that passed on him.

“I'm not going to tell you my grudge list,” he said, “but I've got some teams that passed on me that I'd like to show they passed on a diamond in the rough.”

McClinton comes to the Spurs with one skill that can't be overvalued in the NBA: He is an uncanny shooter from long range. He left Miami as the all-time leader in 3-point accuracy in the history of the prestigious Atlantic Coast Conference, shooting 44.6 percent.

In three seasons with the Hurricanes, he made 286 of 650 college 3-pointers. He averaged 19.3 points as a senior, when he was a first-team All-ACC selection.

J.J. Redick was the first-round pick of the Orlando Magic after a four-year career at Duke that had some experts hailing him as the greatest shooter in ACC history. But even in his senior season he didn't shoot as well (42.1 percent) as McClinton did in his two full seasons with the Hurricanes.

Redick still holds the ACC record for free-throw accuracy (91.1 percent), but McClinton ranks second at 90.0 percent.

“It's been proven over the course of his career he's one of the best shooters in college basketball,” Buford said. “Shooting is a difficult skill to translate between the NBA and college because of the difference in the (3-point) lines. But if you really study Jack's shooting, he's already used to the NBA 3-point line. He's proven he can shoot from that range at a high level.”

There was another skill that drew Popovich's attention during McClinton's two workouts in San Antonio in the weeks leading up to the draft: defensive agility and intensity.

“As far as defenders go, he was probably the one guy who impressed Pop the most in all the workouts we had,” Buford said. “He came here with a purpose. From the minute he walked into the gym until the second he left, he was here with a reason. I'm sure he approached every workout like that.”

McClinton worked out for a lot of teams, but he thought the Spurs would be the team to take him when their first pick of draft night — the seventh of the second round — came around.

Instead, draft night turned into a hand-wringing test of his nerves.

“I was hoping San Antonio would take me at 37,” he said, “but DeJuan Blair was still on the board. Then, I started getting nervous. Thirty-eight, 39, 40. Oh, sheesh. Then 45, 48, 49.”

About the time the Spurs' second selection of the second round, No. 51, was coming up, ESPN cut to a commercial.

“It was funny,” McClinton said. “We had commercials on, and I got a text message from somebody who said, ‘Congratulations.' I said, ‘Congratulations for what? Nothing happened yet.'”

McClinton, watching in his room at his family's home in Baltimore, ran downstairs, somewhat perplexed.

“I said, ‘Mom and Dad, somebody said I got drafted by the Spurs.' But nothing had happened yet. Then (the telecast) came back on, and it was the Spurs' pick, and the guy said I'd been picked.”

McClinton wasn't wearing his pinstriped suit, which would have looked stunning if he had been on hand at Madison Square Garden for the selection process. He was, however, wearing a pair of lime green “Air Max” basketball shoes.

“I ran outside, did a sprint up and down the block. My neighbors probably just saw lime green going up and down the block.”

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Originally Posted by duncan228

“It was funny,” McClinton said. “We had commercials on, and I got a text message from somebody who said, ‘Congratulations.' I said, ‘Congratulations for what? Nothing happened yet.'”

McClinton, watching in his room at his family's home in Baltimore, ran downstairs, somewhat perplexed.

“I said, ‘Mom and Dad, somebody said I got drafted by the Spurs.' But nothing had happened yet. Then (the telecast) came back on, and it was the Spurs' pick, and the guy said I'd been picked.”

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If his family has DVR/Tivo, they may have stopped it for a moment and forgot to hit "Live" to get it back to real-time. I do that sometimes, especially if I want to talk to someone in the room and give them my full attention. I call that DVR feature "The Marriage Saver". :smokin

Between Hill/McClinton/Hairston/de Colo the Spurs have done a decent job of pulling together some young talent with potential to be rotation players. Not a bad haul based on the drafting constraints the Spurs have operated under.

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Originally Posted by duncan228

McClinton ranks second at 90.0 percent

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So he won't fit the Spurs well.

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Originally Posted by Solid D

If his family has DVR/Tivo, they may have stopped it for a moment and forgot to hit "Live" to get it back to real-time. I do that sometimes, especially if I want to talk to someone in the room and give them my full attention. I call that DVR feature "The Marriage Saver". :smokin

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ESPN actually didn't show the 51st pick. They went to commercial and I had to read it off the ticker on the bottom.

Anyone who shoots 3 ptrs 44.6% in 650 attempts has got to be taken seriously. I saw this guy play a couple of times in college and even though he's small I think he could make it in the NBA.

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Originally Posted by ATX Spur

ESPN actually didn't show the 51st pick. They went to commercial and I had to read it off the ticker on the bottom.

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I knew that ESPN did that with the 53rd pick, Nando de Colo. When they came out of commercial, they showed the replay of Nando shaking hands in his suit. I thought the 51st pick was live. There was game video along with comments from the broadcast team about Jack.

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Originally Posted by ATX Spur

ESPN actually didn't show the 51st pick. They went to commercial and I had to read it off the ticker on the bottom.

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Yea I had to record the whole draft to watch later, and I fast forward all the commercials, so I definitely appreciated that they decided to run advertisements during the Spurs' pick.

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Originally Posted by Solid D

If his family has DVR/Tivo, they may have stopped it for a moment and forgot to hit "Live" to get it back to real-time. I do that sometimes, especially if I want to talk to someone in the room and give them my full attention. I call that DVR feature "The Marriage Saver". :smokin

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Nice one. :lmao

Does anyone else think we're going to see a lot of McClinton/Williams backcourts during garbage time?

The thought of McClinton/Manu is interesting as Manu could play the point on O freeing up McClinton to shoot, and then they switch on D.

I think we'll be seeing McClinton a lot this year, but I don't think Williams is here..he hasn't impressed me much, and if Jack is added to the roster, it makes Williams even more pointless..

BTW, does anybody else think the front office is looking at trading Mason and/or Finley even more now?..I find it a little strange that they're this high on a late 2nd round pick already..they might believe he makes those guys expandable in a trade that could help us..

I hope McClinton does well with the Spurs.

So if McClinton makes the team and ends up draining some clutch 3-point bombs like he did in college, I'm thinking maybe we call him:

Jack "Bower" McClinton...:hat

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Originally Posted by BLACKJACK21

So if McClinton makes the team and ends up draining some clutch 3-point bombs like he did in college, I'm thinking maybe we call him:

Jack "Bower" McClinton...:hat

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How about J-Mac?
That was his nickname in college i think.

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Originally Posted by rayray2k8

How about J-Mac?
That was his nickname in college i think.

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Yeah, it was...

It's also extremely boring and unoriginal.

It's the off-season, vato.

Screwin' around with nicknames is something to do...:hat

.......
Go play blackjacks..

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Originally Posted by rayray2k8

.......
Go play blackjacks..

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I am Blackjack(s!?):hat

I'm having wet dreams of Jack going ape shit against the Mavs... I just wish that if he starts getting hot.. Pop doesn't bench him for the sake of it... If he's hot he's hot.. let the kid get some additional confidence...

The seniority system that Pop uses.. would make him bench him to give Williams or somebody else their minutes instead of creating a mini beast...

Jack could be the player that could take over a game and win it for you.. if he gets hot and YOU LET HIM...

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Originally Posted by RuffnReadyOzStyle

Nice one. :lmao

Does anyone else think we're going to see a lot of McClinton/Williams backcourts during garbage time?

The thought of McClinton/Manu is interesting as Manu could play the point on O freeing up McClinton to shoot, and then they switch on D.

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i think hill/mcclinton will be the backcourt coming off the bench

Jack is a nice prospect. But looking at our depth chart and the Hill situation last season I wouldn't get my hopes too high on him playing significant minutes. He's definitely a nice addition.

McClinton for three....BANG!

A man that wears a hot pink tie commands your respect.

i'd be happy just to see him shut down that little hobbit, barrea, when the spurs play the mavs.

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Originally Posted by DunParGin

A man that wears a hot pink tie commands your respect.

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:lol

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Originally Posted by barbacoataco

Anyone who shoots 3 ptrs 44.6% in 650 attempts has got to be taken seriously. I saw this guy play a couple of times in college and even though he's small I think he could make it in the NBA.

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He shot at that rate despite being the number one option on his team and the guy everybody's keying off. You put him on a team like the Spurs where everybody's percentage goes up and you suddenly have a guy who could shoot really surprising numbers for a rookie.

Not to mention the fact that he had some of his highest scoring games against the top ranked teams. I think Jack's going to surprise a lot of people this year.

I like this kid and will not be surprised if he's in the rotation by mid-season. He doesn't hesitate on getting his shot off, can create the space he needs without help, and knocks them down regardless if his shot is contested or not. And he plays D. One of the things the Spurs have lacked (other than when Manu came off the bench) is a guy who can come off the bench and put up points quickly. While, yes, he is an extremely accurate shooter, he has a scorer's mentality and since he can create shots for himself, he is a scorer, or a shooter who is a scorer - however you want to phrase it. Now, if he can display the ability to get to the rim when he wants, the Spurs have themselves another major steal out of this draft. If Blair wasn't available at #37, I believe the Spurs would have taken McClinton there.

I think he's what Pop has in mind as far as backup 1s go. He wants someone who can put up points in bunches, shoot over the top of the defenses, and defend. And he's a competitor.

"Jack" is an appropriate name for him as he's not afraid to let it fly.

His game is eerily reminiscent of AD's, at least when he drives, as he has a tendency to put it up with one hand...and of course his # is 33. But he's a far more accurate shooter and he's much better at creating space to get off his shot.

Manu running the point, slashing to the basket and kicking it out to McClinton...for 3...BANG !!!

It worked great with Bruce and the corner 3s...

I just hope Pop let's these rookies loose early and often at the start of the season and gives McClinton the green line to "Jack" it up, if open.

What I like about McClinton is the same thing that I like about Blair. Both of these rookies are out to prove their doubters wrong. I think they have a "huge" chip on their shoulder and they are going to give all their effort in summer league to make this team. McClinton is more intriguing because Pop said he thought his defense was the best of any prospect they brought in. That is what I am anxious to see. I want to see how good of a defender he is, because if he can stay in front of some of the quicker guards and not get bullied by the bigger ones, you have to have a guy like that on your team. I am going to say that McClinton has a very good chance of making the team this year because the FO likes almost everything about him.

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Originally Posted by Taking it to the Hole

What I like about McClinton is the same thing that I like about Blair. Both of these rookies are out to prove their doubters wrong. I think they have a "huge" chip on their shoulder and they are going to give all their effort in summer league to make this team. McClinton is more intriguing because Pop said he thought his defense was the best of any prospect they brought in. That is what I am anxious to see. I want to see how good of a defender he is, because if he can stay in front of some of the quicker guards and not get bullied by the bigger ones, you have to have a guy like that on your team. I am going to say that McClinton has a very good chance of making the team this year because the FO likes almost everything about him.

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YES...and remember, McClinton was actually going to be our first choice until Blair fell into our laps.

espn.com had the McClinton pick posted before ESPN came back from the commercial.

Hope Pop doesn't break this boy! He does have a tendency to create shooting slumps in shooters new to the team, unfortunately.

Those stats are disgusting for someone who is the teams first option, can't wait for the SL.

I love his quick release. Nasty shooter. If he becomes a great defender than I see no problem with giving him some quality minutes.

If he makes the team I'll buy his Jersey...

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Originally Posted by ElNono

Jack is a nice prospect. But looking at our depth chart and the Hill situation last season I wouldn't get my hopes too high on him playing significant minutes. He's definitely a nice addition.

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Of course if the kid lives up to his rep and nails 3s consistently and plays tough D, I don't see how Pop could leave him out of the rotation. Its all up to Jack now.

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Originally Posted by DunParGin

A man that wears a hot pink tie commands your respect.

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Maybe if you like wiener in your butt.

I put this here because it's Monroe's column he refers to.

DeJuan Blair will be the exception, not the rule
Michael Chartier

As the Express News profiles second round pick Jack McClinton, temper your excitement.

“I'm not going to tell you my grudge list,” McClinton said at his press conference, “but I've got some teams that passed on me that I'd like to show they passed on a diamond in the rough.”

Add me to the list, Jack.

Frankly, there is nothing to suggest that McClinton will have any impact in the NBA, let alone in San Antonio. But Miami Hurricanes’ basketball wasn’t exactly Must See TV, either.

Maybe the Spurs see in McClinton what I saw in a sharpshooting lefty from Ohio State back in 2000. I watched that draft with great anticipation seeing team after team bypass my target player, Michael Redd. Instead, San Antonio selected Chris Carrawell two spots before Redd eventually went to Milwaukee.

The Spurs are exactly one for their franchise history on second round picks and that one is Manu Ginobili. If DeJuan Blair’s knees aren’t a problem, expect their percentage to improve.

Asking for two second round picks to make it from the same draft? Let's not get greedy..

Only two other second picks made by San Antonio have had an impact in the NBA. Kevin Duckworth did it in Portland and Luis Scola is doing it in Houston.

Forward Gene Banks had a serviceable 6-year NBA career between San Antonio and Chicago in the 80s and Tyrone Corbin spent 16 journeyman seasons in the NBA collecting 1065 games but only 47 with the Spurs.

San Antonio entered the NBA after the ABA/NBA merger in 1976. Here is a complete list of Spurs’ 2nd round selections since their inception in the NBA. In years missing, San Antonio did not have a second round selection.

(Notable names that followed or went undrafted)

1977 – Jeff Wilkins (Robert Reid, T.R. Dunn, James Edwards, Eddie Johnson)

1980 – Michael Wiley (Kurt Rambis, Rory Sparrow)

1981 – Gene Banks, Ed Rains (Danny Ainge, Tony Gwynn, Kenny Easley)

Yes, that’s Tony Gwynn the baseball Hall of Famer and hard hitting safety from the Seattle Seahawks, Kenny Easley.

1982 – Oliver Robinson (Rod Higgins, Derek Smith, Craig Hodges, Mark Eaton)

1983 – Darrell Lockhart, Kevin Williams (Craig Ehlo, Bobby Hansen, Manute Bol, Sedale Threatt)

1985 – Mike Brittain, Tyrone Corbin (John “Hot Rod’ Williams, Gerald Wilkins, Arvydas Sabonis, Spud Webb, Mario Elie)

1986 – Kevin Duckworth (Jeff Hornacek, Drazen Petrovic)

1987 – Nate Blackwell (Vincent Askew, Donald Royal, Kevin Gamble, Chris Dudley, Sarunas Marciulionis)

1988 – Shelton Jones (Andrew Lang, Vinny Del Negro, Vernon Maxwell, Steve Kerr, Anthony Mason)

1990 – Tony Massenburg, Sean Higgins (Antonio Davis, Cedric Ceballos)

1991 – Greg Sutton (Darrell Armstrong, Robert Pack)

1992 – Henry Williams (None)

1993 – Chris Whitney (Bruce Bowen, Bo Outlaw, David Wesley, Aaron Williams)

1998 – Derrick Dial (Earl Boykins, Brad Miller)

1999 – Manu Ginobili (Chris Andersen, Raja Bell)

2000 – Chris Carrawell (Michael Redd, Brian Cardinal, Yakhouba Diawara, Ime Udoka)

2001 – Robertas Javtokas, Bryan Bracey (Carlos Arroyo, Charlie Bell, Maurice Evans, Jamario Moon, Andres Nocioni)

2002 – Luis Scola, Randy Holcomb (D.J. Mbenga, Devin Brown, Udonis Haslem, Jannero Pargo)

2004 – Romain Sato, Sergei Karaulov (Jackie Butler, Damien Wilkins)

2006 – Damir Markota (J.J. Barea, Jorge Garbajosa, Walter Hermann)

2007 – Marcus Williams, Giorgos Printezis (Glen Davis, Marc Gasol, Ramon Sessions)

2008 – Goran Dragic, James Gist (Mario Chalmers, DeAndre Jordan, Chris Douglas-Roberts)

2009 – DeJuan Blair, Jack McClinton, Nando de Colo (DaJuan Summers, Sam Young, Chase Budinger, Chinemelu Elonu, Jerel McNeal, Josh Heytvelt, A.J. Abrams)

The NBA isn’t about Cinderella stories, not even when it comes to players. Unlike Major League Baseball and the National Football League, it would be hard to make a living outside of first round draft picks.

Second round picks rarely make the team, let alone enjoy long NBA careers and therefore, it’s too soon to evaluate the last two seasons. However, included are names targeted from the second round or beyond, regardless of position selected.

For Blair, McClinton and de Colo, they’re no locks to have NBA success but that’s part of why they went in the second round. While most considered this a weak draft, there was a lot of value in the second round with numerous successful collegiate players, including Blair and McClinton.

The NBA Summer League in Las Vegas starts July 10th, the opportunity to prove the Spurs right and their critics wrong, begins there.

San Antonio Spurs Las Vegas Summer League Roster:

1 Malik Hairston G 6-6 215 2/23/87 Oregon 1
3 George Hill G 6-2 190 5/4/86 IUPUI 1
10 James Gist F 6-9 235 10/26/86 Maryland R
13 Nando De Colo G 6-5 200 6/23/87 France R
14 Donnell Taylor G 6-5 193 7/26/82 Alabama-Birmingham 2
16 Carldell “Squeaky” Johnson G 5-10 180 1/28/83 Alabama-Birmingham R
18 Eric Dawson F/C 6-9 235 7/7/84 Midwestern State R
17 Antonio Anderson G 6-6 215 6/5/85 Memphis R
19 Marcus Vinicius F 6-9 235 5/31/84 Brazil 2
23 Romel Beck G/F 6-7 185 5/29/82 UNLV R
28 Ian Mahinmi C 6-11 250 11/5/86 France 1
33 Jack McClinton G 6-1 185 1/19/85 Miami R
35 Alonzo Gee G 6-6 219 5/29/87 Alabama R
45 DeJuan Blair F 6-7 265 4/22/89 Pittsburgh R

HEAD COACH: Don Newman
ASSISTANT COACHES: James Borrego, Patrick Spurgin, Quin Snyder, Marcelo Nikola, Darryl Hardy, Darko Rajakovic, Henry Duque
TRAINERS: Nixon Dorvilien, Daisuke Yamaguchi

Mr. Chartier forgot about Gordon Giricek being picked by the Spurs in that same 1999 draft...in the second round. :lol

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Originally Posted by BLACKJACK21

I am Blackjack(s!?):hat

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why dont we just call mcclinton blackjack???

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Originally Posted by duncan228

2007 – Marcus Williams, Giorgos Printezis (Glen Davis, Marc Gasol, Ramon Sessions)

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damn big baby or gasol would have been worth a shot....