The Los Angeles D-Fenders’ season ended way too early, but they have a lot to look forward to in the offseason.
The D-Fenders 2016-17 regular season was one for the ages, as they bowed out early in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the Rio Grande Vipers (2-1). In their two losses to the Vipers, one at home and one on the road (OT), the D-Fenders had staged a valiant comeback effort but fell short.
The disappointment was all over their faces and in the tone of their voices post game. Vander Blue escaped out of the back door, hopefully, to meet with one of the NBA Scouts.
The LA D-League team ended the season with a record of 34 wins and 17 losses. Of their 17 losses, ten were at home and seven on the road, making the team one of the best road-warriors in the league.
Lakers rookie Ivica Zubac made history becoming the tenth person to play in both the NBA and the NBA D-League on the same calendar day on Saturday, Jan 14, 2017. He charted several double-doubles before earning a spot for himself on the Lakers bench and eventually to a starting position. Zubac was adored by the D-Fenders and Lakers teams, coaches and the media.
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David Nwaba got called up to the Lakers for two 10-day contracts. He proved he was ready for the NBA, so Luke Walton signed him, and he played on both the Lakers and D-fenders for the rest of the season, including the three D-League playoff games.
Justin Harper was also pulled up to the NBA play with the Philadelphia 76ers for ten days. Last season Harper was called up to the Detroit Pistons. Harper, a two-time All-Star, was key in leading the D-Fenders to many victories with his sweet three-point shot. He made six three-pointers against Texas this season on 3/22/17, and he grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds in December.
Next season, the D-League becomes the G-League (Gatorade will sponsor the league). American players playing overseas will come home to play for more money. The D-Fenders will morph into the South Bay Lakers with a brand new logo. And hopefully, the trio of Harper, Magette, and Blue will get called up to the NBA after Summer League. That is if D-Fenders Coach Coby Karl has something to say about it.
“In the Front Row” caught up with Head Coach Coby Karl, the Lakers David Nwaba, and D-Fenders point guard Josh Magette after the team’s loss in the first round of the NBA D-League Playoffs to wrap up the season.
The D-Fenders head coach has plenty of reasons to feel that his top three players are ready to play in the NBA.
Vander Blue. There is not a soul involved in the D-Fenders organization including the media who is not scratching their heads when it comes to the many scouts who watch Blue play his heart out on the Lakers practice court. Blue ranks No. 1 in the league in points (4,024), minutes (6,094), field goals (1,334) and free throws (1,073). He is a three-time All-Star who just finished his third year with the D-Fenders and fourth year in the NBA Development League.
Blue broke the D-League record for made free throws made and attempted against the Reno Big Horns (23-27). He broke Scooter McFagdon’s (Bakersfield) 22 free-throws made on ten years ago on 3/21/07. Coach Karl reminded us that it was partially Vander who usually started the come-from-behind push to beat their opponents. We’ll let his stats speak for themselves.
| Season | Tm | G | GS | MP | FG | FG% | 3P | 3P% | 2P | 2P% | FT | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | TOT | 27 | 14 | 29.4 | 5.4 | .393 | 1.3 | .327 | 4.1 | .420 | 4.8 | .763 | 4.4 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 16.8 |
| 2013-14 | DEL | 16 | 13 | 33.6 | 5.7 | .392 | 1.6 | .362 | 4.1 | .405 | 5.6 | .750 | 5.3 | 3.9 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 18.6 |
| 2013-14 | IDA | 10 | 1 | 23.3 | 4.9 | .392 | 0.9 | .250 | 4.0 | .449 | 3.7 | .822 | 3.2 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 14.4 |
| 2013-14 | MAI | 1 | 0 | 25.0 | 5.0 | .417 | 1.0 | .500 | 4.0 | .400 | 2.0 | .500 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 13.0 |
| 2014-15 ★ | LOS | 49 | 47 | 37.2 | 8.5 | .473 | 1.5 | .416 | 7.0 | .488 | 4.7 | .727 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 23.3 |
| 2015-16 ★ | LOS | 48 | 48 | 38.3 | 8.6 | .440 | 1.9 | .330 | 6.7 | .484 | 7.3 | .810 | 5.0 | 3.4 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 26.3 |
| 2016-17 | LOS | 47 | 46 | 34.9 | 7.6 | .435 | 1.8 | .351 | 5.8 | .469 | 7.7 | .807 | 5.1 | 3.0 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 24.8 |
| Career | 171 | 155 | 35.6 | 7.8 | .442 | 1.7 | .355 | 6.1 | .474 | 6.3 | .784 | 5.1 | 3.8 | 1.7 | 0.1 | 23.5 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/17/2017.
| Season | Tm | G | GS | MP | FG | FG% | 3P | 3P% | 2P | 2P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 171 | 155 | 6094 | 1334 | .442 | 283 | .355 | 1051 | .474 | 1073 | 1369 | .784 | 865 | 644 | 290 | 16 | 4024 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/17/2017.
Vander has also played on five Summer League teams, has been called up twice (Lakers and Celtics), and also played overseas in Israel. Let’s face it, Blue has proved himself, and there is not much more he can do, it’s time to move up.
Josh Magette remind folks in the media of Steven Nash. Magette led the team this season in assists with 1,238 and steals with 281. Magette is only the second personal in the history of the D-League to break the 1,000-assist and 275-steals mark with a single team since Omar Cook in 2001-2005.
Magette, also an All-Star in 2017, started all 52 games he played in this season, scoring two triple doubles as well as recording a season-high 17 assists against the Warriors. Josh led his team with 21 double-doubles.
| Season | Tm | G | GS | MP | FG | FG% | 3P | 3P% | 2P | 2P% | FT | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 145 | 142 | 34.4 | 4.4 | .406 | 1.9 | .351 | 2.5 | .463 | 1.8 | .814 | 4.2 | 8.5 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 12.6 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/18/2017.
Travis Wear, in his first season with the D-Fenders, notched nine double-doubles and scored a season-high 24 points against the Raptors. Wear also logged a season-high 17 rebounds against Northern Arizona and made five three-pointers against the Warriors.
The best dunks of the year were made by Julian Jacobs and David Nwaba. You could add Zub to the list, and he enjoys dunking more than anything.
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The Lake Show Life would like to thank both the Los Angeles and South Bay Lakers organizations for sharing this very special and memorable season with us, and we look forward to great things to come!