Mac McClung, Jaden Springer lead Delaware Blue Coats to the G League championship

With the NBA playoffs on the horizon, the 76ers are preparing to contend for a title with Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey at the forefront.

But while the Sixers are just getting started, the team’s G-League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, have already shored up their championship.

Under head coach Coby Karl and behind the play of Mac McClung, Jaden Springer and Braxton Key, the Blue Coats defeated the Rio Grand Valley Vipers, 114-110, in Game 2 to capture the championship on Thursday. They won Game 1 by a 134-120 margin.

This was the Blue Coats’ first title win after four appearances. They were runners-up the past two seasons, losing in the Finals in 2022 and 2021.

Springer, a first-round pick in 2021, was named Finals MVP after two strong performances in the series. He posted 43 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four blocks. He followed that with 21 points and nine rebounds in Game 2.

McClung, this year’s slam dunk contest winner, was just as prolific. He scored 35 points and dished seven assists in Game 1, which was backed up by 30 points, four rebounds and eight assists in Game 2.

Springer’s performance was a welcome sign for Sixers fans. After failing to crack the Sixers’ rotation, he found reps in the G League and followed a path previously taken by Paul Reed.

Reed told The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell that Springer was his “little bro.”

“It’s good to see him thriving right now,” Reed said of Springer.