The Delaware Blue Coats opened their season by putting up 147 points on the Capital City Go-Go, and two former 76ers camp bodies made sure Philadelphia had plenty to notice on a night off.
Jameer Nelson Jr. and Saint Thomas both delivered huge performances in the Blue Coats’ 1-0 start, each scoring 39 points in a game that looked a lot like a statement. For the Sixers, it was the kind of showing that has to sting a little after both players came up short in the final two-way battle during training camp.
Nelson needed just under 31 minutes to pile up his numbers. He took 20 shots, hit 14 of them, and went 4-for-9 from three.
Along with the scoring outburst, he added four assists, three rebounds, and eight steals. That last number jumps off the page all by itself.
Thomas matched him point for point in 33 minutes, doing his damage as the Blue Coats’ center. He was 17-for-29 from the floor and 2-for-8 from beyond the arc, and he finished with a double-double thanks to 10 rebounds.
Thomas’ night is the one that should keep Philadelphia’s attention most closely, given the Sixers’ need for center depth. At the same time, the source of that need matters too: the team could use more traditional size, not just another small-ball look, and that’s already an area where they have plenty.
For now, it’s only one G League game. Still, it was a loud one, and it gave Nelson and Thomas a chance to show the kind of edge that can make a front office second-guess itself.
When camp opened, both players were in the mix for the final two-way spot. Tacko Fall ended up getting it by default.
He missed most of camp, sat out the entire preseason with an injury, and then veteran center Ariel Hukporti suffered an Achilles injury almost immediately. Philadelphia needed a body in the middle, and Fall’s size fit the emergency.
Nelson and Thomas, meanwhile, were left on the outside after not doing enough in actual results.
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