Swing Skill Series: From Rim Pressure to Range — Can Sebastian Mack Add a Three-Point Threat?

Rounded out the Swing Skill Series today by looking at Sebastian Mack and shooting.

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From my vantage point, Ant and Seb need to be functional enough from long range to prevent defenders from closing out short. I think Mack's volume goes up as a function of playing more minutes. He's the inverse of Tamar, who wanted his jumper to force scrambled closeouts he could exploit.

I didn't get into in this aspect when writing piece, but Mack's shooting off the dribble has always been the least efficient part of his game. If you can pare those shots back and replace them with some higher-quality spot-up looks, they'll boost his performance without fundamentally changing Seb's playing style or mentality.

Pierce shooting it consistently also (obviously) solves some issues. I think it would allow Gates to play him more on the wing instead of as an understudy for Mark Mitchell. (You could Porter for some minutes at the four while one of Burns or Phillips plays the post.) Finding ways to smuggle Pierce to the wing keeps Crews' minutes reasonable and allows Boateng to remain a physical slasher.

I don't mind if MU's impetus is to fire up a conveyor belt of rim attacks. Just make sure there's enough shooting to keep gaps open.

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