Rashad McCants

[shrink]

I believe he shot a decent percentage over all those games last year, and over 40% from 3P.

[theGreatRC]

McCants is a chucker. Anyone can put up shots from anywhere on the court but if you take more shots than anyone on your team you should be making a good percentage. In tonights game he put up more shots than anyone on the team in the 6th most minutes. He only made 37% of his shots in all preseason games and 25% from behind the arc. Hardly someone on your team who should be taking 15 or more shots per game.

I don't know where I saw it and I don't expect you to believe me, but there was a top 10 of some kind of scoring stat, and McCants was on that list with the likes of Kobe, Wade, LeBron, McGrady.

[shrink]

Here's last year, per 48 stats.

http://www.nba.com/statistics/player/Sc ... 1&splitDD=

McCants sits at 25, but in front of Dwight and Josh Howard, Vince Carter and Paul Pierce. Besides JR Smith, he's the only guy in the top 30 who isn't getting minutes in the 30's (and in some cases, 40's). I'm not saying he's earned more minutes until the rest of his game improves, but he's a world class scorer.

His FG% last year was a respectable 45.3%, and his 3P% was an impressive 40.1%.

I don't think he's a chucker.

[Devilzsidewalk]

I don't think he's a chucker, but a lot of his misses are bad shots and/or unnecessary because he's going out of the offense to create.

Yesterday he had Gomes open on the wing, but he ignored him and forced himself into no man's territory.
Also, he can get to the rim easily enough, but then he tries circus finishes that never go in.

He needs a better pull up game and to not freeze out his teammates so much. I know he doesn't try to freeze them out, but he does.

[kevinbs]

I thought it was just me..... But I think McCants is a selfish player. Last night pissed me off. He was trying to be a one man show. His stats versus the other reserves were ridiculous.........

[revprodeji]

I think he was trying to get in a flow. His easy shots were not going in. If he makes those bunnies he has 20+ easy.

The "selfish" thing is going to be overblown. What if Coach tells him to be the go-to guy off the bench? What if his job as the 6th man is to literally create and make something happen? He was doing that. He was also passing. He hit Love for the nasty 2 hand.

Shad haters annoy me. Give the kid and the team a chance to get in a flow.

[deeney0]

My Shad hater status only stems 5%, 10% tops on the offensive end. Its defense that kills me. I didn't see last night and I wouldn't make judgements based on one game anyway, but that's where we have to look for improvement from him.

[RD&KG2]

I think Rev is right. Shad isn't put into the game to stop someone on defense, he's out instant offense of the bench. People are going to hate this comparison, but I'll do it anyway he's like a Ricky Davis type player with more potential. He gets into the game through his offense. If anyone on the team is allowed to force some shots it's probably Shad.

[mayorhoiberg]

From Britt Robson's season preview... I think this is the ULTIMATE take on McCants. Perfect.

http://rakemag.com/blogs/ball

Meanwhile, the weird relationship between McCants and the Wolves' brass has to be reconfigured. Shaddy has to cease being such a drama queen, narcissistically being "born to hated, dying to be loved" in his approach toward the game. At the same time, the Wittman, McHale, Taylor and the rest have to stop giving McCants reason to believe his sense of paranoia and victimization are justified. In terms of pure excitement, there is no one on this team who can top McCants--the squared shoulders and silky rhythm on his jumper, his explosion to the hoop (especially with the left hand) and ability to draw the foul; even hsi passes, which, while too infrequent, betray a keen understanding of the dynamics of the game. Visually, the guy's game is a gem--and unmarketed by the honchos. Is it the scowls and the tattoos and petulant behavior? Yeah, I'm sure a lot of it is. And we still hear all the pablum radio hits, and the safest hip-hop, during the pregame warmups--it's part of the same mentality. (And don't get me started on the team's marketing practice of wheeling out people on death's door for a goosebump-oriented standing ovation, their "heroes in the making." Can we dial back the emotionally manipulative schmaltz a tad?)

What makes this more bewildering is what happened during Shaddy's second season, remember? Waylaid by microfracture surgery, he became the go-to guy for in-game promotions and skits both corny and touching, and shined in the role. He was eminently likeable and warmly embraced. Was it just coincidence that, when finally cleared to play late in the season, that, despite obvious rust and physical limitations, he exerted himself more effectively on defense than any other time in his career? This season, I suggest making Shaddy both more visible and more accountable--demonstrate that he's part of your mix going forward. Expect consistent offense from him, meaning that when the jumper isn't falling, he becomes a playmaker and otherwise enabler through tough D and decoy offense, and that he forces the action to get to the line. When he starts acting out and mailing it in on defense, sit his ass. This is his 4th year in the league and excuses shouldn't be an option on either side of the equation. The Wolves need what Shaddy has to offer. And McCants' reputation needs the bolstering of a productive, harmonious season. To state the obvious, more should be expected of McCants than Love, Brewer, and perhaps even Foye.

[Devilzsidewalk]

good article, I forgot how smart Britt Robson is. Only thing is where'd "Chris Smith" come from?

[Worm Guts]

Connecticut

[horaceworthy]

At the end of his rookie year, with Casey, Shad was considered the 2nd best defender on the team. Casey publicly said it. Because that is what Coach and KG demanded. last year I think Shad knew they were not trying to win and he played different. This year if we tell him we are trying to win perhaps he will kick the defense up a notch.

Casey did come about and praise 'Shad's defensive improvement that year, but he didn't say McCants was the 2nd best defender on the team. What he said was that Rashad was the 3rd most aware defender on the team (presumably behind KG and Hassell). A lot of us took that to mean 3rd best, and the team was in such a downward spiral that nobody bothered correcting anybody. We're on the way up now, though, so I thought that now might be the time.

[TrentTuckerForever]

I'm among the haters, although not strictly for McCants' game. He doesn't fit on this team as long as Randy Foye is the point guard - and I think Foye HAS to be the point guard as this team is currently configured.

McCants can shoot, but he isn't a willing floor spacer. He's got a scorer's mentality, but he will never be more than a 3rd option on this team (Jefferson is option 1 obviously, and Foye is 2 since he has the ball in his hands.)

Remember that Joe Johnson was drafted by Boston? They traded him to Phoenix for veteran help after his 2nd or 3rd season... he showed some of the same flashed in Boston that McCants does now, and I honestly can't think of a better comparision. McCants is the kind of guy I would guarantee would blow up on a different team. He'll only continue to be frustrating if he remains a Wolf.