“We turned the ball over way too much, and that’s clearly an issue that needs to be addressed.” Head coach Connor Johnson recognized what was clear to anyone who watched Tuesday’s loss. Turnovers were the Achilles heel for the Delaware Blue Coats in their 125-105 loss to the Capital City Go-Go.
Unfortunately, this has been far more of the rule than the exception thus far for the Coats. They have the third most turnovers per game in the G League this year. Only one game this year have they had under 20 turnovers. Tuesday night’s disappointing loss represented their highest turnover total yet with 27.
“I think all of our guards struggled in decision-making, in handling the ball, in being tough with the ball,” Coach Johnson said after the game. The Coats’ starting backcourt of Xavier Munford, Zhaire Smith, and Marial Shayok combined for 6 assists and 11 turnovers on the night.
Norvel Pelle Shines in the Darkness
Despite joining in on the “fun” with 6 turnovers himself, Norvel Pelle carried the load on both ends of the floor for the Blue Coats. He finished with a team-high in points (18), rebounds (14), and blocked shots (6). He was also a team best -7 during his time on the floor.
His impact was most notable on the offensive glass. Pelle finished with 8 offensive rebounds, continually cleaning up what was an otherwise ugly team performance on the offensive end. “Gotta be aggressive, and we need more possessions, so I just went after the offensive rebounds,” Pelle said after the game. “I just gotta bring the energy because we came in a little flat.”
Norvel has been up and down between the Sixers and Blue Coats to start the season. He showed again on Tuesday night why he deserves every opportunity to stick with the “big league” squad. Pelle has a noticeable Clint Capela style to his game that can’t be maximized in the G League with the Blue Coats’ lack of high-end point guard play. However, if the Sixers can get him into some pick-and-roll situations and utilize him similarly to how the Rockets use Capela, there’s a spot for this dunker and shot-blocker in the NBA.
Norvel Pelle after a solid game with 18p, 14r, 6b, but also 6to in the Blue Coats’ Tuesday night loss: pic.twitter.com/13mFJhYMd3
— Bryant Baker (@BryantBakerTPL) November 20, 2019
