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Thanks for posting.
I'm liking more and more of what I hear about Ray. Sure, he's got to develop, but he has potential and the perfect at ude.
http://www.nba.com/spurs/ray-mccallum-dream-come-true
Ray McCallum: "Like A Dream Come True"
By: Lorne Chan Spurs.com
Posted: Jul 12, 2015
Ray McCallum was keeping track of the NBA’s wild offseason in the same way as most fans, through Twitter and TV reports. He was particularly impressed by the Spurs’ moves, he said, when he got a phone call one night last week.
It was Spurs general manager R.C. Buford welcoming him to the team.
“It was a random, unexpected call, and probably one of the best I’ve ever gotten,” McCallum said. “Sitting at home watching the offseason unfold, then finding myself thrown into that group of Spurs players, it’s like a dream come true.”
McCallum, a 6-foot-3 guard, was acquired in a trade with Sacramento on Thursday. A 2013 Kings draft pick, McCallum averaged 6.9 points, 2.7 assists and 20.7 minutes per game the past two seasons.
He’s marveled at the Spurs from the Pacific Division, studying guard Tony Parker for years and calling him “one of the best in the game.”
“I’ve looked up to the Spurs for a while,” McCallum said. “It was frustrating to play against the Spurs, because they always found a way to win. They always make that extra pass and close out, and I think I’ll fit in well.”
After backup guard Cory Joseph signed with Toronto last week after four seasons with the Spurs, Ray McCallum will likely take over Joseph’s role on the Spurs’ roster.
They posted similar numbers last season, as Joseph played 1,444 minutes while McCallum played 1,436 minutes. Joseph averaged 6.8 points and 2.4 assists with the Spurs and McCallum had 7.4 points and 2.8 assists for the Kings.
“McCallum fills a big need,” Buford said. “Cory’s play and his presence in our group can’t be overstated. Replacing Cory’s fire, passion and personality as well as 1,500 minutes of really good play was important for us. To go out and get a player like Ray fills a big hole.”
McCallum, a Detroit native, was a McDonald’s All-American in high school and received scholarship offers from college powers such as UCLA and Arizona. He chose to stay home at University of Detroit instead, and with good reason.
His father, Ray McCallum Sr., is Detroit’s basketball coach.
As a sop re, McCallum led Detroit to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 13 years. As a junior, he was named the Horizon League player of the year.
“It’s a rare opportunity to get to play for your dad,” McCallum said. “It helped me better myself not only as a player, but as a man, too, And when I called him after talking to R.C. to tell him I was a Spur, I think my dad was more excited than me.”
Foregoing his senior year, McCallum was a second-round draft pick by the Kings at No. 36 overall in the 2013 NBA Draft. He averaged 6.2 points and 2.7 assists as a rookie, making 10 starts in 45 games.
McCallum was named MVP of the 2014 Las Vegas Summer League, and saw a boost in playing time for his sop re season. He started all 30 games after the 2015 All-Star break for the Kings, averaging 11.2 points and 4.3 assists in those games.
He said he hopes to be seen as a high-energy guard who can create opportunities on the defensive end.
According to SportVU data, McCallum was one of the NBA’s fastest players, with an average speed of 4.6 miles per hour in games. Only two players, Patty Mills and Cory Joseph had a speed of 4.7 or higher last season.
“Spurs fans will see someone who plays quick, plays fast and does whatever the team needs,” McCallum said. “I look at the banners here and I love that it’s all about winning. I think this is going to feel like home pretty quickly.”
Thanks for posting.
I'm liking more and more of what I hear about Ray. Sure, he's got to develop, but he has potential and the perfect at ude.
i posted this yesterday and they took it down for some reason.
Probably because I had already posted it in the McCallum thread.
Anyone have any thoughts on the Sport VU data which tracks player speed.
Patty, Cory and Tony (injuries and all) were the league leaders in this stat.
Can anyone explain this?
You can find the data here:
http://stats.nba.com/tracking/#!/player/speed/
So Tony Parker is arguably the fastest player on that list . Even with the injuries and when everyone thought he has lost a step??
According to that list he's equal 4th in mph and covered more distance (and mins played) as anyone ahead of him incl Mills & Joseph.
It has to be a system thing right? I find it hard to believe we had the 3 fastest players in the game last season
Last edited by ceds; 07-13-2015 at 09:21 PM.
My bad, man.
It's b/c of the loop play where the Spurs point guards esp. Tony gets 3 picks to go from one side of the court to the other & catches the ball at full speed. The Spurs offense is called a "motion" offense b/c players are always moving around the court. Otherwise, guys like Ty Lawson, John Wall, Isaiah Thomas, Westbrook & Monta Ellis are faster/quicker than anyone on the Spurs.
Can't wait to see this dude be the best playmaker off the bench
Was thinking, man there are alot of articles about this guy, popping up...then realized they're all the same article.
Here's an interview they did on him too
http://www.nba.com/spurs/ray-mccallum-welcome-interview
It looks like he has the right at ude, at least. I was thinking about his dad while reading this. I can only imagine what it would mean, for a highschool or minor college coach, to hear that your son is now part of an organization like the Spurs. It must be one of the greatest days in his life.
Only Irving and Wall can compare with a healthy Parker speed-wise.
A lot of people seem to be downplaying this signing, but I personally have a good feeling about it. The Spurs have veteran talent and championship experience in spades. What they need now is some youth and, more importantly, some fire: guys with a chip on their shoulder, who have talent that wasn't being properly utilized, and who can appreciate the difference between being in a bad situation and a good one. Just like Mills after he came over from Portland and couldn't get Pop to call his number. McCallum seems to fit that bill on all accounts.
I'm obviously no fortune teller, but I feel like this is gonna be an important pickup for the Spurs. Buford has already said that Tony won't be playing all 82, Manu will obviously have his minutes monitored as well, and Mills can't carry the rest of that load by himself...especially since injuries will be inevitable throughout the season. Ray is going to have a chance to show us what he can do. I'm interested to see what he does with it.
Very excited to see what this kid can bring to the 2nd unit. Going from the Kings to the Spurs really must be night and day for him.
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