Season in review: Daryl Macon

Daryl Macon of Arkansas reacts after making a shot and earning a free throw on a Fort Wayne foul on Friday Nov. 11, 2016 during the game at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.

— This is the ninth of a 12-part series reviewing the 2016-17 season for each of Arkansas’ scholarship players.

DARYL MACON

Position: Guard

Class: Junior

Height: 6-3

Weight: 185

Stats: 13.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.8 turnovers, 1.1 steals

45.3 FG%, 38.7 3PT%, 86.6 FT%, 25.2 MPG, 21 starts

Per 40 stats: 21.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.9 turnovers, 1.8 steals

SEC stats: 13.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.8 turnovers, 0.7 steals

45.1 FG%, 42.2 3PT%, 85.7 FT%, 25.9 MPG, 10 starts

Offensive rating: 122.2

Defensive rating: 106.1

Net rating: 16.1

Best month: December, 15.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.9 topg, 1.5 spg, 50.7 FG%, 41.7 3PT%

Worst month: January, 12.3 PPG, 2.9 rpg, 1.9 topg, 1.8 apg, 0.5 spg, 33.8 FG%, 31.1 3PT%

STRENGTHS

— Transitioned from junior college to Division I ball quickly and without a hiccup, a key part of the 12-1 nonconference record. Didn’t take long to get acclimated and looked assertive right away, not taking a backseat on a team with several talented scorers.

— Clutch. Him signaling he had ice in his veins after sinking 3 go-ahead free throws in a 1-point comeback win at Vanderbilt wasn’t an exaggeration in the slightest. Made 30 of 34 free throws in the final minute of games, many of which either won or helped secure a victory for a team that was 7-2 in games decided by 2 or fewer possessions and 6-0 in games decided by 4 or less points.

— Part of a balanced team, but could still get hot and go off for big games, including a 30-point outing against Ole Miss. Versatile scorer. Graded out as ‘excellent’ spotting up, running the pick-and-roll, coming off screens and working off hand offs, according to tracking data from Synergy Sports. Ranked in the 94th percentile nationally, averaging 1.083 points per possession.

— At the same time, he was easily the most efficient volume scorer on the roster. Had a stellar .626 true shooting percentage, a metric that adjusts for 3-pointers and free throws. Also posted a .558 effective field goal percentage, a metric that makes made 3-pointers worth more to more accurately reflect their value. In the 30-point outing, he was 10 of 13 from the floor. He scored 19 on 6 of 8 shooting against North Carolina. A lot of his efficiency had to do with shot selection. Only took 25 2-point jumpers, all season. The vast majority of Macon’s shots were either 3s or in the lane.

— Played with a confident swagger on offense. Smooth player but has a somewhat off-kilter pace when handling the ball that allowed him to keep defenders on their heels with hesitation dribbles and the like. Whoever was guarding him essentially had to guess whether he would drive or pull up for an off-dribble jumper, a shot he hit at a respectable 48.1 effective rate, which put him in the 84th percentile nationally. His range and unpredictability made him a tough cover.

— Borderline elite spot-up shooter, too. Had a nearly 60 percent effective field goal percentage on catch-and-shoot plays, ranking in the 82nd percentile nationally. Quick release allowed him to get shots off even against tight defense. Shot 38.7 percent on nearly 5 attempts a game from 3-point range and had 19 mult-3 games, including 11 with 3 or more.

— Arkansas’ best pick-and-roll operator. Shot an effective 55 percent when working of ball screens and averaged 0.957 points on pick-and-roll possessions, putting him in the 89th percentile of ballhandlers. His pace and patience helped him maneuver slickly while coming off screens. Furthermore, averaged a blistering 1.611 points per possession curling off handoffs (99th percentile) and 1.286 coming off screens (92nd percentile). If he was able to get a defender on his hip, they were toast most of the time.

— Used the threat of his shot to help him get into the lane, averaging 1.153 points on spot-up possessions. His shot combined with his quickness and handle allowed him to get to the rim with ease, where he was able to finish well, often gliding in for layups and evading shot blockers. Averaged 1.188 points per possession and shot a very good 57.8 percent around the rim in the halfcourt, which put him in the 65th percentile.

— Decent in isolation situations, averaging 0.833 points per possession, which ranked 60th in the nation. His shot, quickness and finishing ability give him the potential to be an even better one-on-one player in the future.

— His free throw shooting wasn’t only good during crunch time. Hit 86.6 percent of his foul shots, which ranked seventh in the SEC. Excelled at drawing contact and selling it to officials to get to the line, which came in handy, especially late. Operated very much like an NBA player in that sense, averaging a team-best 6.9 free throws per 40 minutes, which tied him for seventh among SEC guards.

— Shot a solid 51.1 percent in transition and ranked in the 62nd percentile nationally. Not bashful about pulling up for a 3 on the break if an open shot presented itself.

— A solid primary ballhandler capable of initiating the offense. An underrated passer. Averaged a solid 3.5 assists per 40 and had 8 games of 4 or more assists, 2 more than the next closest player on the team (Manny Watkins). Showed the ability to break down the defense, get to the rim and slip a drop-off pass around a help defender to a big. Unfortunately, Arkansas’ bigs routinely had trouble handling said passes, which may have discouraged him from attempting them more.

— Good lateral quickness allowed him to turn opposing guards and frustrate them when he was locked in defensively.

WEAKNESSES

— Could settle for tough looks, but that happens with any good scorer. He was incredibly efficient for the most part.

— Not a great rebounder. His size makes it unlikely he will be a huge contributor on the boards, but he grabbed either 0 or 1 rebound in nearly half (15) of Arkansas’ games.

— Prone to defensive lapses. Ranked in just the 30th percentile nationally as a defender. Has the tools to be a good defender, but must be more focused and consistent on that end.

— Missed rotations and was late closing out to shooters on a regular basis. Opponents shot an effective 64.5 percent on catch-and-shoot possessions against him, which put him in the 13th percentile nationally. The number spiked to 72.2 percent, in the 5th percentile, when he was closely guarding opponents. And it wasn’t as if he gave up 3-pointers but shut down driving lanes when closing out. Opposing guards shot an effective 58 percent against him in spot-up situations, placing him in the 14th percentile.

— Had a tendency to die on screens, smacking into them rather than avoiding them and struggling to fight through them when contact was made.

LOOKING AHEAD

Macon exceeded any reasonable expectations in his first year at Arkansas, thriving in a big role as a scorer and showing some playmaking chops to boot. He was aggressive and confident early in the year, traits that never went away and should be more pronounced as a senior.

He could put up big numbers next season and has the potential to be an All-SEC selection. An even more consistent version of Macon, one with a year under his belt and a better understanding of how to operate within the system, could be one of the premier players in the conference.

Part 1: Adrio Bailey

Part 2: Jaylen Barford

Part 3: Anton Beard

Part 4: Arlando Cook

Part 5: Dusty Hannahs

Part 6: Brachen Hazen

Part 7: C.J. Jones

Part 8: Moses Kingsley