Thunder big man Mitch McGary has been suspended for five games by the NBA for a failed drug test, writes Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. McGary figures to serve the suspension to open the 2016/17 regular season.
As Slater writes, the five-game ban isn’t a major on-court problem for the Thunder, considering McGary wasn’t a regular part of the team’s rotation last season. However, it’s not the first off-court incident for the 24-year-old, who tested positive for marijuana in college and avoided a one-year NCAA suspension by entering the NBA draft. So that may be cause for some concern.
McGary, the 21st overall pick in the 2014 draft, has shown a little promise and had a strong Summer League showing this past week in Orlando, but he has yet to make a real mark in Oklahoma City. During the 2015/16 campaign, he averaged just 3.6 minutes in 20 appearances, scoring total 26 points for the season.
Pot use shouldn’t be a suspension offence.
However, since it is a suspension offence, McGary deserved what he got. He is under contract and knew the consequences. If he wants to do drugs, quit the NBA and get a job without drug testing.
Agree 100%
If you sign a contract and one of the things that it says is you can’t smoke dope, then you don’t smoke dope, you big dope.
The article is correct it won’t be a big on court deal, now losing an All-Star Power Forward that could be a problem.