76ers: Blue Coats’ Mac McClung Lands in Rising Stars Game
The Philadelphia 76ers will have a representative in the NBA’s 2023 Rising Stars Game at All-Star Weekend. Well, sort of.
As the NBA revealed the Rising Star participants on Tuesday afternoon, it was announced that Mac McClung of the 76ers’ G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, would participate in the game.
McClung, the 24-year-old former Texas Tech standout, signed with the Sixers during the offseason. At the time, he netted an Exhibit 10 deal, which made it clear he would land with Philadelphia’s G League affiliate in Delaware.
While some players have moved around since the G League and the NBA fired up their 2022-2023 seasons, McClung has been a consistent contributor for Delaware throughout the year and his performances are paying off with multiple G League accolades.
During the Showcase Cup run earlier in the year, McClung appeared in 18 games, starting in half of those matchups. Spending a little under 30 minutes on the court in those matchups, McClung averaged 17 points, five rebounds, and one assist while knocking down 32 percent of his threes and 43 percent of his shots from the field.
Since the Blue Coats fired up their regular season, McClung started in nine of the 11 games he appeared in. Spending 27 minutes on the court per game, the young standout has averaged 19 points, three rebounds, and five assists. He’s knocked down 46 percent of his threes and nailed 58 percent of his shots from the field.
McClung joins ten NBA sophomores, 11 NBA rookies, and six other G League standouts in the Rising Stars player pool. Last season, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey participated in the showcase as a sophomore. This season, McClung is the only representative in the game that has an affiliation with the Sixers. Along with the Rising Stars game, McClung is slated to also participate in the dunk contest.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
