By Panos Katsiroumpas / info@eurohoops.net
In the face of Jamel McLean, the Piraeus team found the new version of the undersized center that they had introduced with Kyle Hines six summers ago. McLean’s features are different in several ways, but the size and the strength point to a player who brings to mind CSKA Moscow’s American and winner of two EuroLeague trophies (2012, 2013) in the Red-and-white colors. Below, we are going to analyze the competitive profile of Olympiacos’s new acquisition.
With this addition the team gains some things, but at the same time is weakened in others, always compared with the American center’s predecessors. McLean is a ‘five’ with the body of a forward, since he is 2.03m tall, but because he cannot threaten from farther than 4 meters, he usually plays in the center’s position.
Most of us in Europe found out about him when he scored the winning shot in that friendly game between the San Antonio Spurs and Alba in Berlin, and then through the amazing season he had with the German team. But let’s get to know him a bit better before we talk about his features as a player.
Who he is
The American center is in his seventh season in Europe and now he has taken root for good on the Old Continent. He’s 29 years of age and played college basketball in an excellent program, that of Xavier.
He played well in his college years, but because he didn’t have the size or the strength that is required at the NBA level, he went unnoticed in the 2011 draft. Since he didn’t find a place in the magical world of the NBA, he decided to try his luck in Europe, with the first stop being the Leuven Bears. From there, he went to Oostende, before crossing the border to play in Bonn.
After an excellent year, Alba Berlin made him theirs and in this way, took him to the highest level, since the Berliners had an excellent season in the EuroLeague that year. McLean shined with 13 points and 5.5 rebounds on average, and started to attract the interest of even bigger European teams.
In the summer of 2015, his name had been connected to Olympiacos once again, but he ended up in Milan, where he spent the last two years, playing well, but without reaching the performance levels that he had with Alba, while he didn’t manage to survive from the mediocre basketball that Olimpia played.
His transfer to Olympiacos is a big challenge, since now he’ll be playing in one of the top 4 or 5 clubs in Europe, based on the results the Piraeus team has had in the last ten years.
An ace in the pick-and-roll
McLean is clearly a pick-and-roll player, and for this reason, Olympiacos’s decision to add him to their roster makes a lot of sense. He can screen very well on the ball and he’s fast enough to make good and fast dives in the key in order to receive the ball.
Aside from the speed, he has very good hands and can control his body extremely well. He has good technique and can finish plays with great ease, mainly from the right lane.
In contrast to Birch, he’s not the player who will play a lot over the rim, but he’s better at receiving balls and finishing plays.
Aside from this, thanks to his technique and his speed, he can put the ball on the floor with ease and create plays for himself, while at the same time wearing down the opposing defense.
Game in the post
It’s not his favorite part of the game, but he’s trying to introduce it in his repertoire. The truth is that his size and his body don’t help him take his opponents close to the basket very easily. But he’s rather agile in his movement and can finish plays with some off-balance shots or with a fadeaway. Regarding his game outside the paint, this is limited to a mid-range shot that will come mostly from the top of the key, something he mainly developed at Alba Berlin.
He needs work
If he needs to improve something in order to offer the maximum of his abilities to Olympiacos, that’s in defense inside the paint, but also in switches. He has trouble against stronger centers, while, considering the switching defense that Olympiacos play, he has to improve his speed and his positioning.
Of course, he doesn’t have a heavy body that will be exposed in these kinds of situations, but he’s not the defensive exterminator that will stop any guard that stands in his way in switching defense conditions.
He’s not a bad rebounder for his size, but if he improves his positioning then he’ll be able to offer more. Also, generally, he’s not as good a blocker or rim protector as previous centers for Olympiacos.
Will he fit in at Olympiacos?
Common sense says that Olympiacos can offer him his favorite way of playing at a very high level. His finishes in the pick-and-roll are quite possibly the main reason they brought him to Piraeus.
His good technique with the ball is a big asset, but he’s called upon to provide some defensive solutions that are demanding and certainly of a higher degree of difficulty compared to his previous teams.
Offensively, he’s going to help for sure, but he has to give 100% in order to contribute in all areas, so that his presence in Olympiacos can be something more than positive.