76ers’ Two-Way Rookie Drops 40 at NBA G League Showcase

Joel Embiid wasn’t the only member of the Philadelphia 76ers’ organization this week to drop at least 40 points in a single outing. Out in Orlando, Florida, the Sixers’ NBA G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, saw their reserve guard go off against the Texas Legends at the Winter Showcase.

Rookie guard Terquavion Smith hasn’t shown any hesitation in letting shots fly since he made his pro debut earlier this season. In front of a bunch of scouts, the young guard put on his best performance yet in 26 minutes off the bench.

As usual, Smith shot at a high-volume. Trailing only his veteran teammate Darius Bazley, Smith launched the second-most amount of field goal attempts, putting up 23 shots from the field.

He drained 52 percent of his shots from the field. And as ten of those attempts came from beyond the arc, Smith generated 18 points from deep as he averaged 60 percent from three-point land.

In total, Smith produced 40 points off the bench for the Blue Coats on Wednesday night en route to a tight 133-129 win over the Dallas Mavericks affiliate. 

Funny enough, Smith didn’t score Delaware’s team-high either. The recently acquired veteran Darius Bazley led the way for Delaware with a 43-point showing. Similar to Smith, Bazley lit up the Legends from beyond the arc, knocking down five of his 11 shots. Bazley also dominated on the glass, grabbing 18 rebounds to secure the double-double.

For Smith, his promising rookie season with the Blue Coats continues. Heading into the showcase, the young guard was averaging 19 points per game. When the lights got brighter this week, he started the showcase off with a bang, putting up career numbers. 

Smith and the Blue Coats return to the court on Thursday to face the South Bay Lakers. When they wrap up their outing against the Lakers in Orlando, the Blue Coats will get nearly a week off before returning to Wilmington for their matchup against Capital City Go-Go next Wednesday.