Each week, “Coat Check” will highlight the Delaware Blue Coats, the NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers.
CHECKING IN
Thursday, Jan. 23, marked the one-year anniversary of the Blue Coats’ first game at their new home—76ers Fieldhouse in Wilmington.
Last Friday and Saturday, the current squad celebrated the occasion by sweeping a home back-to-back at the arena, posting exactly 134 points in both games and outscoring its opponents by a staggering 70 combined points in the pair of victories.
This year’s Blue Coats (16-12) have posted a 2-1 mark since our last check-in. Following last weekend’s dominant 134-95 and 134-103 victories over the Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte Hornets) and Erie BayHawks (New Orleans Pelicans), respectively, the team dropped a road contest to the Canton Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers) on Wednesday. Delaware still holds the fourth-best winning percentage (.571) in the Eastern Conference.
The recent homestand for the Blue Coats basically featured its own in-game dunk contest.
The Blue Coats posted season-high totals for 3-point field goals (22) and rebounds (63) in the win over Erie on Saturday. The team currently ranks in the top five in the G League in a number of categories: 1st in blocks per game (7.5), second in rebounds per game (50.7), third in field goal percentage (.478), and fifth in points per game (118.6).
76ers two-way contract player Marial Shayok checks in at No. 4 on the G League scoring leaderboard at 23.1 points per game.
Christ Koumadje ranks second in the league in blocks per game (3.5), while Doral Moore is fourth in field goal percentage (.704).
BLUE QUOTES
Blue Coats guard Xavier Munford, on Kobe Bryant:
“[Kobe Bryant] was really influential for kids like me growing up. And [for] kids around the whole world. Everybody watched Kobe and aspired to be like him. And he’s the reason that some players today picked up a basketball.”
[As a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, Munford actually played three minutes in a game against Kobe Bryant on March 22, 2016.]
Blue Coats Assistant GM Ruben Boumtje Boumtje, on the team’s size and shot-blocking prowess:
BLUE COATS BEAT
The Blue Coats Beat gives you an inside look at the Blue Coats, both on the court and in the community.
From Data Scientist to an NBA G League front office, former NBA player and current Delaware Blue Coats Assistant General Manager Ruben Boumtje Boumtje joins The Blue Coats Beat. A native of Cameroon who holds two degrees in mathematics from Georgetown, Boumtje Boumtje discusses his unique path back into the basketball world, the growth of the sport in Africa and more.
Episode Five of The Blue Coats Beat includes a Blue Coats Healthy Lifestyle Feature, presented by ChristianaCare.
UP NEXT
On Saturday, the Blue Coats visit the Erie BayHawks (New Orleans Pelicans) for a 7 p.m. ET start on the road.
The team’s next home game is ‘Baseball Night’ featuring the Wilmington Blue Rocks on Wednesday, Feb. 5 against the Windy City Bulls. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on DETV, ESPN+ and 1450 WILM.
For information on Blue Coats tickets, visit SIXERS.COM/BlueCoats.