Los Angeles Lakers: Is Mac McClung the next Alex Caruso?

If anyone has been watching the games or the highlights from the Los Angeles Lakers Summer League you will see that guard Mac McClung somewhat resembles ex-Laker Alex Caruso. The six-foot-two, 185-pound guard reminds me of him very much. His skills are very similar to Caruso.

McClung possesses a very good handle on the ball and controls it rather well. He also runs the floor very well and is a very good passer. Plus, he even has a smooth jump shot.

McClung spent two seasons at Georgetown and one at Texas Tech. At Georgetown, he led all Big East Conference freshmen in scoring as was named to the Big East All-Freshman Team. At Texas Tech he made the All-Big Twelve Second Team in 2021. Mac McClung also was AP All-American Honorable Mention in 2021 as well as Big 12 Newcomer Of The Year.

There is no doubt that this kid has a lot of talent and upside. If he can keep up with his solid play, I see no reason why the Lakers wouldn’t take the chance and make him a stable part of the team as they did with Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker.

After all, look how those two turned out. The Lakers always have a lot of good young talent playing in the Summer League where there are always various future stars just waiting for the opportunity.

A player like Mac McClung would be a good fit for the Los Angeles Lakers with Alex Caruso now in Chicago.

Players such as Caruso are quite rare these days as they have the ability to learn and grow among the league and team and to make players around them better. It wouldn’t hurt to have another guard who can push the ball, pass, shoot, and get up.

I like the way McClung moves. He is not stiff or clunky. His movements are rather sharp and unpredictable. His size is perfect for his position. I also like the way he hustles and sets up his teammates. McClung seems to be a very cerebral type of player that learns while he goes. In my opinion, that is one of the most important aspects.

In high school, McClung was labeled as “One of the nation’s most exciting players.” Mac McClung was not drafted in this past NBA Draft. We all know that for certain players, the NBA Draft doesn’t mean much because how many players have we seen get drafted high and become major busts? Then, of course, there have been players like McClung who have gone undrafted and paved their way to a very promising NBA career. Alex Caruso is one of them.

It shall be rather interesting to see what happens with McClung. Even if the Los Angeles Lakers do not decide to keep him around, he could possibly end up with another team. Time shall only tell.