The Bluecoats are coming!
The NBA G League was established in 2001 and has experienced much growth since its inception. The league consists of players from all walks of life who come together with the common goal of getting better every day. Some guys need this time and opportunity to grow as men and professionals. They need the ability to learn on the fly and continue to develop their games freely. That’s hard to do when you’re on an NBA roster and not getting meaningful minutes in the rotation.
On December 27th, 2024, the Windy City Bulls came into town to face the Delaware Blue Coats for the league’s season opener. I arrived about an hour before the game tip-offed. I wanted to make sure I got in early to acclimate myself to the environment. I always like to watch players warm up before games. Sometimes, you can get a good feel for the headspace that a player is in during their warmups. Is their shot falling? If it’s not, what body language are they displaying? Are they working on a move that they want to pull off in-game? There are a lot of tells that you can pick up on, and it helps me pay attention to certain things when I’m trying to visually tell a story.
The game got off to a great start as both teams came out and ran sets to feel each other out. It was a seesaw affair all game long, but the Blue Coats controlled the pace of play for most of the game. The Bulls made their runs and got within striking distance quite a few times. E.J. Liddell (#32) of the Bulls was a real defensive standout. He blocked quite a few shots and altered the trajectory of many jumpers. He quietly put up 29 points to go along with his four rebounds and three blocked shots. Jordan Hall was dropping dimes all night, and he finished with a game-high eight assists. As a team, they couldn’t find a consistent offensive rhythm for most of the night.
It was a different story for the Blue Coats. They got off to a very hot start and kept that momentum up for the rest of the game. Led by Jeff Dowtin Jr’s 34 points on 14-20 from the field. Jeff poked and prodded the defense all night and consistently got to his spots on the floor. Big man Isiah Mobley chipped in with a double-double! He scored 14 points and grabbed 11 boards. Philly’s own Justin Edwards finished with 15, and Marcus Bagley added 20. The team did well defensively and finished with nine steals and nine blocked shots. The defense sparked a lot of positive plays for the Blue Coats, and they delivered on offense when it counted the most. The final score was 116 to 97, and I’m looking forward to watching these guys again.
