Over the past few years, the G-League has taken huge strides in the increase in talent and competition across the league. Representing the Sixers as their G-League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats have taken the same strides and this year’s team is loaded with talent.
As proof of this, the Blue Coats picked up the first playoff victory in franchise history with a 124-103 victory over the Austin Spurs last night.
Isaiah Joe shines
The second-round pick has shown promise in his limited minutes with the Sixers this season, and Joe picked up right where he left off with greater opportunity among the Blue Coats squad.
The Arkansas sniper scored a game-high 28 points with four rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Joe shot 7 of 15 from beyond the arc and also added two free throws to his scoring tally.
This was just Isaiah Joe’s second game in the G-League since being sent down from the Sixers. He is certain to rejoin the NBA team once the G-League playoffs are over, but getting him these extra reps could go a long way to assuring he is in top form for his NBA return.
Paul Reed
Even with Isaiah Joe on the team, Paul Reed continues to be the most exciting player to watch on a nightly basis. His instant energy has been extremely impactful and Reed will undoubtedly become a fan-favorite on the Sixers bench if he is able to secure a bigger share of minutes.
Paul Reed ranks 3rd in the G-League in scoring with an impressive total of 22.3 points per game. It is also extremely noteworthy that Reed is knocking down 3-pointers at 44.4% on 3.6 attempts per game. This has been a focus of improvement for Reed as he knocked down these long-range shots at just 33% throughout his time in college. Consistently hitting from long-range could be a major key to unlocking Reed’s NBA potential.
In last night’s game specifically, Reed showed how he can do a little bit of everything. The product of DePaul with 17 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a block. This was a relatively down night for Reed’s rebounding stats as he also ranks third in the league in rebounding with 11.8 boards per game.
Other Notable Performances
In his second year with the Blue Coats, Justin Robinson has also proven to be a key part of the team. He has been a major threat all season, knocking down long-range shots at a 40% rate. In last night’s victory, Robinson scored 16 points and tied a career-high 13 assists. He also added 4 steals on the night.
Michael Frazier II also added 18 points off the bench and recorded a game-high +29 rating. Jemarrio Jones was not far behind him with a +25 rating and added 12 rebounds, 4 points, and 3 assists.
Rayjon Tucker has also turned eyes on a nightly basis and added 14 points in this matchup. He also took to Twitter to boldly claimed that he would have come out the victor if he was in this year’s disappointing slam dunk contest. In total there were six Blue-Coats to reach double-figures, including all 5 starters.
What’s Next?
The Blue Coats will be back in action tonight against the Raptors 905 in the G-League semifinal matchup. This game will tip-off at 9:15 and can be seen on ESPNU.
The Blue Coats have quickly developed into an extremely fun team to watch and the game is more than worth checking in for. The young nucleus of talent on the Delaware roster hold several names who have a real chance of developing into contributing members of the Sixers in the future.
Photo by Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire
