Philadelphia 76ers: Should Mac McClung be on Elton Brand’s radar?

After two successful seasons at Georgetown, Mac McClung has declared for the 2020 NBA Draft, but should the Philadelphia 76ers be interested?

Mac McClung is one of the more unique prospects in the 2020 NBA Draft.

A viral superstar dating all the way back to his AAU days, McClung was verified on Instagram before he took the SATs and has amassed more cumulative YouTube views than 10 year NBA veterans thanks to his high-flying feats, free-flowing style, and dozens of instantly memorable basketball mixtapes.

Check this one out if you’re unfamiliar, it’s pretty striking.

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In the basketball days of yore, McClung could have parlayed his standing on the national stage into a draftable grade based on potential jersey sales alone, but in this soon-to-be-over-era of minimum age restrictions to be draftable, that proved to no longer be the case.

A 3-star recruit out of Gate City, Virginia, McClung was not in particularly high demand coming out of high school. Despite surpassing Allen Iverson to become the all-time leading scorer in Virginia high school basketball history, McClung received exactly two offers to play college ball, and ultimately opted to learn under Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing at Georgetown over a one-way ticket to New Brunswick, New Jersey to attend Rutgers.

And after two seasons in, ironically, the house that AI built, McClung has entered his name into consideration for the 2020 NBA Draft.

Now to be clear, McClung can ultimately return to school for his junior season at Georgetown no harm, no foul, but what if he decides to stay in? Should the Philadelphia 76ers be interested in his services?

I guess that depends on what the team is looking for in the draft.

On one hand, McClung offers a relatively impressive set of skills that the Sixers don’t have on their active roster. McClung is fast, athletic, and a certified skywalker. If paired up with a lightning-quick point guard like Ben Simmons, McClung could bring new life to the 76ers’ two-man full-court offense in a way the team hasn’t really had since rising to playoff prominence in 2017.

Paired up with 7-foot-tall senior center Omer Yurtseven, McClung averaged 14.2 points a game over his two seasons in our nation’s capital, including an impressive 15.7 points on 13.2 field goals a game as a sophomore.

Depending on how things ‘shake’ out with the Sixers’ search for a fifth starter whenever the season eventually picks back up, Brett Brown may be on the lookout for a new bench guard going into the 2020-21 season if Shake Milton becomes a full-time starter. While McClung is not going to make anyone forget about T.J. McConnell as a passer, as evidenced by his career 2.2 assists per game, he does have an ability to take over the halfcourt offense a la current-Houston Rockets reserve Austin Rivers and run the show as a point-and-shoot combo guard.

There’s no doubt about it, McClung is an NBA player and fits pretty well into this new-era of positionless lineups predicated on shooters, but his lack of a clear role NBA role could be just as detrimental as it is helpful.

Unlike, say, Isaiah Washington, another former viral star and the founding member of the ‘Jelly Fam‘, McClung may struggle to find a consistent role in the NBA. An undersized two-guard trapped in a point guard’s body, McClung is at his best as a pick and roll basket driver, where he can shine with a wide array of fancy dunks that could make Aaron Gordon blush. Where McClung may struggle, however, is making an impact on the NBA game when the ball isn’t in his hands, due in large part to a putrid sub-.300 shooting percentage on 4.7 attempts a game from beyond the arc. He’s also rather undersized to even play point guard in the modern-NBA at 6-foot-2, 186 pounds and may struggle to become better than an average defender against legit NBA talents.

The 76ers aren’t exactly desperate for backcourt defenders after selecting Zhaire Smith and Matisse Thybulle in back to back drafts, but they likely won’t want to give meaningful minutes to a 20-year-old rookie without a knockdown 3 point shot or an ability to switch defensively.

On the off chance that the 76ers actually have a first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, an outcome that will only happen if OKC’s pick falls between 20-30, McClung likely won’t be a player the Sixers specifically target, instead turning their attention to shooters regardless of position.

However, if McClung is still there when the Sixers are on the clock in the second round, either with the Atlanta Hawks‘ pick or the New York Knicks‘ pick, that could be a completely different story.

For all of his flaws as a player, there’s a ton to like about McClung as a prospect from an athletic standpoint. With one of the best developmental G-League systems in place in the new Delaware Blue Coats fieldhouse, it’s entirely possible McClung could be the next Milton, Norvel Pelle, or even 2019-20’s breakout star, Marial Shayok.

McClung is also the cousin of Houston based rapper Riff Raff. This has nothing to do with his basketball prowess, of course, but it’s a fun fact none the less.

In the late 90s, Mac McClung would have been a star, but now, his scoring guard-style is a nostalgic throwback to a bygone-era. However, if allowed to continue to develop, and become a more consistent outside shooter, there’s enough about McClung’s upside to get fans – on Youtube and otherwise – excited about his prospects as a prospect – especially if the Philadelphia 76ers can lock up his services with one of their six(!?) second-round picks.