J.P. Macura, a two-way player for the Charlotte Hornets, made his debut for the Greensboro Swarm last night, and was very impressive.
One player who doesn’t get very much attention for the Charlotte Hornets is J.P. Macura, who is on a two-way contract with the club. The undrafted rookie will be spending time with the Hornets and the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s G-League affiliate, throughout the season.
In case you don’t know what a two-way contract is, it will allow Macura to spend up to 45 days with the Hornets. When he’s not with the Hornets, he’ll be in the G-League with the Swarm, working on his craft in the minor league.
The G-League season began yesterday, and the Swarm kicked things off with a 114-98 win over the Wisconsin Herd. Macura scored a game-high 27 points on 10-16 shooting, adding six rebounds and five three-pointers in just 27 minutes of play.
That’s a great start for Macura and the Swarm. Other notable names on the Swarm roster this year are Joe Chealey (fellow two-way player), Zach Smith, Isaiah Wilkins and Jaylen Barford, who were all with the Hornets for training camp before the season.
Macura played his college ball at Xavier, where he earned the reputation of being a constant energy guy. He plays his butt off and doesn’t take a single play off, something you love to see from someone trying to fight up the NBA ranks.
It’s clear that Macura does have an NBA skill set. He’s been a consistent three-point shooter, a hard working defender and an underrated athlete. He’s going to be a great player to develop this year, and who knows, maybe he could end up getting his two-way deal converted into a regular contract if he continues to impress.
I really do think that Macura has a future in this league, and he is a guy that I think Hornet fans should be watching closely throughout the season. His energy, toughness and grit show on the court at all times, and it’s fun to watch.
The Swarm will be back in action tonight, taking on the Capital City Go-Go, the Washington Wizards’ brand new G-League team.
