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The Philadelphia 76ers continue to be active and tinker with the roster as the start of the 2022-23 season rapidly approaches. While the most notable additions have been made and the 15-man roster appears set in stone, the Sixers continue to do work in the margins and add talented young players to the roster. The team recently brought in Mac McClung who is expected to bring his high-flying skills to the Sixers’ G-League affiliate. This effort to improve the bottom of the roster in the organization continued as it was reported by Keith Smith of Spotrac that the Sixers have taken steps to make Patrick McCaw and Justin Smtih a part of the organization.
Who is Patrick McCaw?
McCaw is no stranger to the Sixers organization. After being selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 36th overall pick in the 2016 draft, the UNLV product was traded to the Golden State Warriors. He made a name for himself by recording the second-most steals in the nation during his time in college and has made use of his 6’10” wingspan at the professional level as well.
The 6’7″ wing bounced back and forth between the Warriors and their G-League affiliate throughout his time there but made a positive impact in the opportunity he did receive. Over the two seasons with Golden State, he averaged 4.0 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in his 15.9 minutes per game. This is especially impressive considering that the Warriors won the championship each of the seasons he spent with the team (2016-17 and 2017-29) with McCaw seeing limited opportunity in the postseason as well. He even started three games during the 2016-17 playoffs as Kevin Durant battled injuries.
The Clevland Cavaliers elected to sign him in free agency following the year and, despite being a restricted free agent, the Warriors did not match the offer. He appeared in just three games with the Cavaliers before being waived and soon landed with the Toronto Raptors. He spent the next three seasons with Toronto, including the 2018-19 season in which they won the championship. McCaw played in 11 postseason matchups and became just the third player in NBA history to win three consecutive titles with different teams.
On February 11th, 2022, McCaw was acquired by the Delaware Blue Coats. In his 17 games played, he averaged 5.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He is not a player that will ever light up the score sheet but does a terrific job doing the little things and plays with tremendous energy. McCaw played a role in the Blue Coats team that lost in the G-League Finals last year and will look to do the same this season.
Delaware Blue Coats Roster
Justin Smith may not have as notable of a track record but is still an intriguing prospect. He stands 6’7″ and spent his first three seasons in college at Indiana before transferring to Arkansas. The 23-year-old spent last season with the Raptors 905 where he averaged 8.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Perhaps most concerning is that he attempted just one three-pointer during his 29 games with the team.
Smith and McCaw will join an already talented Delaware Blue Coats roster. Charlie Brown Jr. and Julian Champagnie will each spend time down in Delaware due to the nature of their two-way contracts. Michael Foster Jr. is also set to play a major role after spending last season with the G-League Ignite. The Blue Coats also recently regained the rights to Rayjon Tucker who was with the organization during the 2020-21 season. His highlight-reel dunks and impressive athleticism will surely bring energy to the team.
While many teams overlook the importance of a successful G-League program, the Sixers have done an excellent job building it up over the years. Having a strong young core in place behind the NBA roster sets the organization up for long-term success. Daryl Morey has continued to make this a focus upon taking over and making these moves are the next step in building a stronger roster behind the Sixers.
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