Game Preview - Dec. 7, 2023 vs. Delaware

Game details:     

Matchup: Maine Celtics (5-5) vs. Delaware Blue Coats (6-3) 

Location: Portland Expo; Portland, Maine 

Tip-off: 7:00 PM EST   

Streaming: ESPN+, NBC Sports Boston (tape delay) 

Following a narrow defeat last night, the Maine Celtics are ready for action again today to finish off a back-to-back with the Delaware Blue Coats. 

Delaware enters tonight’s contest winners of four-straight games, the first three of which came at the Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington, Del. prior to last night’s win at the Expo. Each of those wins were bolstered by strong performances from players at the top of the depth chart; Two-Way guard Ricky Council IV and David Duke Jr. have scored north of 20 points in all four wins, including a career-high 32 points from Council – a teammate of Celtics rookie Jordan Walsh at Arkansas – in the win over Long Island, along with 28 points from the former Razorback against Maine. 

Breaking down the Blue Coats: 

Rolling into tonight’s matchup with the #10 offense and #16 defense, the Blue Coats aren’t necessarily a team that jumps off the page statistically, but Duke and the Delaware Two-Ways can produce on par with the top-end of any roster in the G League. Duke, Council, and Two-Way guards Terquavion Smith and Javonte Smart are all top-35 in the league in points per game – Council is fifth at 24.3 points per game and Duke is 10^th with 23.5 per game. 

There are a couple of statistical areas where the Blue Coats do excel, however. Delaware boasts the league’s fifth-lowest turnover rate at 14.7%, Delaware boasts the league’s third-lowest turnover rate at 14.7% -- combined with a middle-of-the-pack pace of play, it can be difficult for opponents to speed them up and force them into making poor decisions with the ball. The Blue Coats are also eighth in 3-pointers made per game (13.8) and second in 3-point percentage (37.8%) as a team, giving the offense a baseline level of consistent production with efficient shooting from long-range. 

Melvin Frazier Jr. has been a rebounding machine for Delaware thus far averaging 8.8 rebounds per contest and is one of its few rotation players with years of NBA experience. Frazier spent the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons with the Orlando Magic and played three games for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2021-22. Along with the high-level rebounding production, the veteran adds two assists and two steals per game. 

This Blue Coats squad returns several players from seasons past; Jared Brownridge, Derek Culver, Jarron Cumberland, Patrick McCaw and Aminu Mohammed have all played for the Blue Coats in recent years and give first-year head coach Mike Longabardi a handful of solid, reliable veterans that can adapt to and play a role off the bench. 

Three keys to the game: 

Spread the wealth: Five player scored in double figures in the win over Capital City last weekend, with Steward leading the way at 24 points. Purposeful ball movement and evenly distributed scoring worked like a charm the last time the Celtics got in the “W” column. 

Try to stop the Two-Ways: Like most G League teams, Delaware relies heavily on its Two-Way players for production; limiting Council, Smith and Smart, particularly by forcing them into contested off-the-dribble jumpers could put Maine in the driver’s seat. Only Duke scores more than 9 per game among non-Two-Way players for the Blue Coats. Last night, Council put up 28 points on 9-17 shooting – keeping the athletic slasher away from the rim and forcing him to make quick decisions is paramount. 

Physicality: The Blue Coats only have one player on the roster taller than 6-foot-6 in Derek Culver, and he missed last night’s game with an illness. If Culver sits again tonight, the Celtics have a massive advantage (pun intended) in the frontcourt with Nathan Knight and James Banks III. Maine outrebounded the Blue Coats 51-39 in yesterday’s loss.