76ers’ Two-Way Player Reacts to Dominant Debut on Social Media

Kenneth Lofton had quite the debut on Wednesday night for the Delaware Blue Coats.
76ers’ Two-Way Player Reacts to Dominant Debut on Social Media
76ers’ Two-Way Player Reacts to Dominant Debut on Social Media /
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As the Philadelphia 76ers took on the Orlando Magic down in Florida, the team’s NBA G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, hosted the Capital City Go-Go in Wilmington. Not only did the matchup serve as the first official regular season game for the Blue Coats following the Showcase Cup, but it was also the debut of the team’s newest two-way addition, Kenneth Lofton Jr.

Recently, the Memphis Grizzlies were forced to make some space on their roster as the formerly suspended Ja Morant was re-joining the team. Lofton was cut loose and hit the free agency market for the first time since he joined the Grizzlies as an undrafted prospect.

Lofton fielded offers from several teams around the league, but he embraced the opportunity the Sixers could give him. After taking a few days to weigh his options, Lofton signed a two-way contract with the 76ers, who cut Javonte Smart to make room.

On Monday, Lofton joined the Sixers for the first time. As the Sixers faced the Miami Heat for their Christmas Day battle, Lofton was suited up and active for the game. However, he remained sidelined, as the Sixers didn’t need to go deep into their bench in the tight loss.

When the Sixers traveled to Orlando for Wednesday’s game, Lofton split. He made it back to Delaware in time to debut with the Blue Coats. To say Lofton started his Blue Coats run off with a bang would be an understatement.

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Lofton checked in for precisely 29 minutes on Wednesday as he got the start at center for the Go-Go. During that time, he put up 15 shots from the field, finding success on nine of them. He also attempted seven threes, knocking down 43 percent of his threes. 

Lofton produced a game-high 30 points for the Blue Coats. He also graved eight rebounds off the glass and blocked two shots on the defensive end. The former Grizzlies prospect was a huge boost in the Blue Coats’ frontcourt on Wednesday, as they defeated the Go-Go 134-126 to advance to 1-0 on the year. 


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA