Last Updated on October 5, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

The Los Angeles D-Fenders’ 2007-08 season featured one of the most explosive offenses in the NBA Development League and resulted in the franchise’s first playoff appearance. After narrowly missing the postseason in their inaugural year, the D-Fenders took a significant step forward behind a high-scoring roster led by Stephane Lasme, whose all-around impact earned him league MVP honors and Defensive Player of the Year recognition. Los Angeles also received major contributions from Joe Crawford and Coby Karl, helping the team maintain an up-tempo style that regularly produced some of the league’s highest point totals. The D-Fenders finished 32-18 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals, establishing themselves as a serious contender while continuing to serve as a proving ground for players pursuing NBA opportunities.

Roster

NO. PLAYER NAME POS HT WT DOB COLLEGE
00 Jelani McCoy C 6 ft 10 in 245 lb December 6, 1977 UCLA
00 Robert Whaley C 6 ft 10 in 265 lb April 16, 1982 Walsh
07 Brian Chase G 5 ft 10 in 170 lb October 8, 1981 Virginia Tech
09 Darren Cooper G 6 ft 3 in 180 lb July 9, 1983 Portland
10 Errick Craven G 6 ft 1 in 195 lb July 4, 1983 USC
11 Cecil Brown G 6 ft 4 in 200 lb July 27, 1983 UC Santa Barbara
12 Brian Morrison G 6 ft 2 in 192 lb July 25, 1982 UCLA
17 Devin Green G/F 6 ft 7 in 215 lb October 25, 1982 Hampton
18 Sean Banks F 6 ft 8 in 210 lb January 20, 1985 Memphis
19 Brandon Wallace F 6 ft 8 in 225 lb March 14, 1985 South Carolina
22 Coby Karl G 6 ft 5 in 215 lb March 6, 1983 Boise State
23 Darryl Watkins C 6 ft 11 in 258 lb November 8, 1984 Syracuse
24 Wendell White G 6 ft 6 in 215 lb September 3, 1984 UNLV
34 Abdoulaye N’Diaye F/C 6 ft 11 in 220 lb October 5, 1984 USC
41 Stephane Lasme F 6 ft 8 in 220 lb December 17, 1982 Massachusetts
22 Marcus White F 6 ft 8 in 220 lb September 27, 1983 Purdue

Regular Season Per Game

PLAYER POS AGE GP GS MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG TOPG FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Sean Banks F 23 49 48 34.8 21.7 5.4 3.0 0.7 0.7 2.9 16.0 7.3 .458 4.3 1.4 .335 7.6 5.7 .743
Brian Chase G 26 36 25 32.9 16.5 3.8 3.6 0.9 0.0 1.6 13.6 5.6 .409 6.1 2.3 .372 3.4 3.1 .903
Cecil Brown G 24 43 15 26.2 12.4 2.7 1.9 0.8 0.1 1.3 9.5 4.5 .472 2.4 1.0 .427 3.0 2.4 .813
Wendell White F 23 40 28 28.1 11.8 5.3 1.6 1.2 0.2 1.6 10.1 5.2 .519 0.3 0.1 .167 2.0 1.3 .650
Jelani McCoy C 30 36 25 30.3 11.2 7.9 3.3 0.8 2.1 2.6 7.0 4.8 .688 0.0 0.0 .000 3.0 1.5 .509
Devin Green G/F 25 24 24 34.9 16.4 6.4 4.2 1.2 0.6 2.9 13.0 6.4 .489 2.5 0.8 .333 3.6 2.8 .791
Stephane Lasme F 25 37 14 28.9 10.6 7.5 1.3 1.0 2.6 1.7 7.2 3.8 .519 0.0 0.0 4.0 3.1 .758
Errick Craven G 24 40 17 19.3 8.0 3.1 2.5 1.6 0.2 2.0 6.5 3.3 .510 0.3 0.1 .250 1.7 1.2 .742
Coby Karl G 24 17 17 37.5 17.5 5.5 4.2 1.1 0.4 2.8 12.3 5.5 .450 6.3 2.6 .411 4.6 3.8 .833
Abdoulaye N’Diaye F/C 23 44 0 14.8 4.4 4.0 0.5 0.3 0.9 1.1 3.3 2.0 .603 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.4 .600
Brandon Wallace F 22 22 10 29.5 7.9 6.4 3.0 0.9 2.5 1.4 7.3 3.3 .447 0.7 0.1 .188 2.0 1.2 .614
Brian Morrison G 25 23 2 12.5 5.0 1.2 1.6 0.3 0.0 0.9 5.1 2.0 .385 2.2 0.7 .320 0.7 0.4 .667
Darren Cooper G 24 15 0 20.1 6.9 2.9 1.5 0.5 0.1 1.2 5.2 2.3 .449 1.7 0.8 .462 2.0 1.5 .733
Darryl Watkins C 23 18 16 19.8 4.9 5.7 0.7 0.7 1.2 1.1 4.0 1.9 .486 0.0 0.0 1.5 1.1 .704
Robert Whaley C 25 21 9 12.9 4.2 2.9 0.7 0.3 0.3 1.0 4.4 2.0 .462 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.1 .429
Marcus White F 24 1 0 14.0 0.0 3.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 2.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Playoff Per Game

PLAYER POS AGE GP GS MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG TOPG FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Jelani McCoy C 30 2 2 35.5 17.5 8.0 3.5 0.5 2.5 2.5 10.5 7.5 .714 0.0 0.0 3.5 2.5 .714
Cecil Brown G 24 2 0 33.0 14.0 3.5 2.5 0.5 0.0 1.5 13.0 4.5 .346 4.0 1.0 .250 4.5 4.0 .889
Coby Karl G 24 2 2 37.5 13.5 3.0 5.5 2.0 0.5 0.5 13.0 3.5 .269 7.5 1.5 .200 5.5 5.0 .909
Errick Craven G 24 2 2 34.0 13.0 5.0 4.5 3.0 0.0 3.0 13.5 5.5 .407 1.0 0.0 .000 3.0 2.0 .667
Wendell White F 23 2 1 31.0 12.5 5.0 2.5 4.5 0.0 2.0 11.5 5.5 .478 1.0 0.0 .000 2.0 1.5 .750
Brandon Wallace F 22 2 2 37.0 12.0 13.5 1.5 0.5 3.0 2.5 12.5 5.5 .440 1.5 0.5 .333 1.0 0.5 .500
Sean Banks F 23 1 1 22.0 11.0 4.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 4.0 10.0 5.0 .500 1.0 0.0 .000 2.0 1.0 .500
Brian Morrison G 25 1 0 9.0 11.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 2.0 6.0 4.0 .667 4.0 3.0 .750 0.0 0.0
Darren Cooper G 24 2 0 4.5 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 1.0 0.5 .500 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.5 .500
Abdoulaye N’Diaye F/C 23 2 0 12.0 1.0 3.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 1.0 2.0 0.5 .250 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Regular Season Totals

PLAYER POS AGE GP GS MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Sean Banks — — 49 48 1707 1063 265 148 35 33 144 782 358 .458 209 70 .335 373 277 .743
Brian Chase — — 36 25 1184 595 136 131 33 0 59 491 201 .409 218 81 .372 124 112 .903
Cecil Brown — — 43 15 1125 534 116 81 35 6 58 409 193 .472 103 44 .427 128 104 .813
Wendell White — — 40 28 1122 472 213 62 46 9 65 403 209 .519 12 2 .167 80 52 .650
Jelani McCoy — — 36 25 1090 403 283 118 27 74 92 253 174 .688 1 0 .000 108 55 .509
Devin Green — — 24 24 837 394 153 101 28 14 69 313 153 .489 60 20 .333 86 68 .791
Stephane Lasme — — 37 14 1070 391 276 48 38 97 64 268 139 .519 0 0 — 149 113 .758
Errick Craven — — 40 17 773 318 124 101 63 6 81 261 133 .510 12 3 .250 66 49 .742
Coby Karl — — 17 17 638 297 93 72 18 6 48 209 94 .450 107 44 .411 78 65 .833
Abdoulaye N’Diaye — — 44 0 651 194 174 20 12 41 49 146 88 .603 0 0 — 30 18 .600
Brandon Wallace — — 22 10 648 174 141 65 19 54 30 161 72 .447 16 3 .188 44 27 .614
Brian Morrison — — 23 2 287 116 27 37 7 0 20 117 45 .385 50 16 .320 15 10 .667
Darren Cooper — — 15 0 302 104 43 22 7 2 18 78 35 .449 26 12 .462 30 22 .733
Darryl Watkins — — 18 16 356 89 103 13 12 22 19 72 35 .486 0 0 — 27 19 .704
Robert Whaley — — 21 9 271 89 60 14 7 7 20 93 43 .462 0 0 — 7 3 .429
Marcus White — — 1 0 14 0 3 0 1 0 1 2 0 .000 0 0 — 0 0 —

Playoff Totals

PLAYER POS AGE GP GS MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Jelani McCoy — — 2 2 71 35 16 7 1 5 5 21 15 .714 0 0 — 7 5 .714
Cecil Brown — — 2 0 66 28 7 5 1 0 3 26 9 .346 8 2 .250 9 8 .889
Coby Karl — — 2 2 75 27 6 11 4 1 1 26 7 .269 15 3 .200 11 10 .909
Errick Craven — — 2 2 68 26 10 9 6 0 6 27 11 .407 2 0 .000 6 4 .667
Wendell White — — 2 1 62 25 10 5 9 0 4 23 11 .478 2 0 .000 4 3 .750
Brandon Wallace — — 2 2 74 24 27 3 1 6 5 25 11 .440 3 1 .333 2 1 .500
Sean Banks — — 1 1 22 11 4 2 0 0 4 10 5 .500 1 0 .000 2 1 .500
Brian Morrison — — 1 0 9 11 0 1 1 0 2 6 4 .667 4 3 .750 0 0 —
Darren Cooper — — 2 0 9 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 .500 0 0 — 2 1 .500
Abdoulaye N’Diaye — — 2 0 24 2 6 0 0 1 2 4 1 .250 0 0 — 0 0 —

Regular Season

PLAYER NAME ROLE TIER MPG USAGE TIER PPG RPG APG STK (SPG + BPG) IMPACT INDEX NOTES AWARDS
Sean Banks Primary Scoring Wing (1.1) 34.8 High (1.2) 21.7 5.4 3.0 1.4 83.16 A downhill scoring wing with the freedom to carry major offensive possessions, Banks was the D-Fenders’ central shot creator and one of the driving forces behind their 21-10 start. His combination of scoring volume, rebounding from the wing and secondary playmaking made him much more than a pure scorer. South Bay Lakers All-D-League First Team (2008); D-League All-Star (2008); D-League Performer of the Week (Feb. 11, 2008); D-League Performer of the Week (Apr. 7, 2008)
Devin Green Primary Wing Creator (1.1) 34.9 High (1.2) 16.4 6.4 4.2 1.8 76.03 Green functioned as a large secondary ball-handler who could attack from the wing, rebound his position and create offense without being locked into a traditional guard role. His prior NBA and overseas experience gave Los Angeles a versatile veteran presence capable of filling several lineup jobs. Hampton University D-League experience; NBA experience with Los Angeles Lakers
Coby Karl Two-Way Shot-Making Guard (1.05) 37.5 High (1.2) 17.5 5.5 4.2 1.5 72.32 Karl was an unusual D-League assignment because his minutes were tied to an NBA development path, yet he still carried substantial creation duties for Los Angeles. His willingness to handle, shoot from deep and make plays under pressure made him a genuine offensive organizer rather than merely an NBA roster stash. South Bay Lakers NBA assignment from Los Angeles Lakers; NBA roster experience; appeared in D-League and NBA on same day (2008)
Brian Chase Lead Shot Creator (1.1) 32.9 High (1.2) 16.5 3.8 3.6 0.9 65.47 Chase brought a compact, aggressive scoring profile to the backcourt, using his shooting range and ball pressure to keep defenses stretched. His prior season had already established him as a high-minute D-League creator, and his return gave Los Angeles another guard capable of generating offense when possessions stalled. South Bay Lakers D-League Performer of the Week (Mar. 3, 2008)
Jelani McCoy Interior Playmaking Anchor (1.05) 30.3 Medium (1.1) 11.2 7.9 3.3 2.9 58.44 McCoy’s value came from his ability to connect the frontcourt to the offense rather than simply finish around the rim. His rebounding, passing from inside and shot-blocking gave Los Angeles a veteran interior hub, and his early-season play was strong enough to earn the first NBA call-up in D-Fenders history. South Bay Lakers D-League All-Star (2008); All-D-League Third Team (2008); NBA call-up to Denver Nuggets (2008)
Stephane Lasme Rim-Protecting Defensive Anchor (1.1) 28.9 Medium (1.1) 10.6 7.5 1.3 3.6 55.66 Lasme immediately changed the defensive geometry of the team with elite shot-blocking instincts and mobile help defense. He could erase mistakes behind the perimeter defense, run the floor and still provide efficient interior scoring, eventually earning a Miami call-up after establishing himself as one of the D-League’s premier defensive bigs. UMass NBA D-League Defensive Player of the Year (2008); All-D-League Honorable Mention (2008); NBA call-up to Miami Heat (2008)
Wendell White Physical Two-Way Guard (1.05) 28.1 Medium (1.1) 11.8 5.3 1.6 1.4 46.43 White played with the physicality of a bigger wing, contributing on the glass while attacking the basket rather than relying heavily on perimeter shooting. His D-League opportunity was part of a deliberate push toward an NBA career, and his ability to compete against bigger lineups gave Los Angeles useful positional flexibility. Las Vegas Sun D-League experience
Cecil Brown Secondary Perimeter Scorer (1.05) 26.2 Medium (1.1) 12.4 2.7 1.9 0.9 41.35 Brown supplied efficient secondary scoring from the backcourt and could punish defenses when attention shifted toward Los Angeles’ higher-usage creators. His perimeter shooting gave the rotation spacing without requiring him to dominate the ball. College Basketball at Sports-Reference D-League experience
Brandon Wallace Mobile Frontcourt Connector (1.05) 29.5 Low (1.0) 7.9 6.4 3.0 3.4 43.47 Wallace’s value was tied to his activity across several areas: rebounding, passing, weak-side defense and shot blocking. After moving through several D-League stops, he gave Los Angeles a mobile frontcourt piece who could affect possessions without needing many designed touches. OurSports Central D-League experience; NBA assignment from Boston Celtics
Errick Craven Defensive Pressure Guard (1.0) 19.3 Low (1.0) 8.0 3.1 2.5 1.8 30.80 Craven operated as a pressure-oriented reserve guard, bringing point-of-attack activity and quickness rather than high-volume scoring. His defensive instincts and ability to move the ball gave the deeper rotation a useful change of pace. FFBB D-League experience
Darryl Watkins Rim-Protecting Center (1.05) 19.8 Low (1.0) 4.9 5.7 0.7 1.9 27.72 Watkins was used primarily as a traditional interior defender, occupying space around the rim and supplying rebounding and shot blocking. His D-Fenders stint followed an NBA stop with Sacramento and ended with a February trade to Iowa, making this a relatively short developmental assignment rather than a full-season centerpiece role. D-League experience; NBA experience with Sacramento Kings
Darren Cooper Reserve Floor Spacer (1.0) 20.1 Low (1.0) 6.9 2.9 1.5 0.6 23.80 Cooper provided low-usage guard minutes and perimeter balance, with his role centered more on keeping the offense functional than creating a large number of possessions himself. The 15-game sample makes the clearest takeaway his rotation utility rather than sustained offensive responsibility. OurSports Central D-League experience
Abdoulaye N’Diaye Interior Defense Reserve (1.0) 14.8 Low (1.0) 4.4 4.0 0.5 1.2 20.20 N’Diaye gave Los Angeles a long interior body whose primary value was rim protection, rebounding position and finishing close to the basket. His offensive workload stayed modest, but his size allowed him to cover a different defensive matchup than the team’s smaller frontcourt options. FFBB D-League experience
Robert Whaley Physical Backup Center (1.0) 12.9 Low (1.0) 4.2 2.9 0.7 0.6 16.80 Whaley was a physical reserve center whose contribution came mainly through interior screens, rebounding and occupying space around the basket. His season was interrupted by a January release before Los Angeles brought him back in February, so the sample reflects a limited rotation role. D-League experience; D-League draft selection (2007)
Brian Morrison Spot-Up Reserve Guard (1.0) 12.5 Low (1.0) 5.0 1.2 1.6 0.3 16.20 Morrison’s season was fragmented by repeated roster moves, leaving him with a small sample and limited continuity. When available, he offered a perimeter shooting outlet and secondary ball movement rather than a sustained lead-guard role. D-League experience
Marcus White Emergency Frontcourt Reserve (1.0) 14.0 Low (1.0) 0.0 3.0 0.0 1.0 8.00 With only one documented appearance, White’s role is best treated as an emergency frontcourt assignment rather than a meaningful rotation evaluation. The tiny sample supports only a limited observation: he supplied size and rebounding presence in a brief stint. South Bay Lakers D-League experience
TOTALS — 417.0 — 153.8 77.1 36.6 26.8 682.99 Combined player-row totals; Impact Index is the sum of the individual indexes. —

Playoffs

PLAYER NAME ROLE TIER MPG USAGE TIER PPG RPG APG STK IMPACT INDEX NOTES AWARDS
Jelani McCoy Interior Playmaking Hub (1.1) 35.5 High 17.5 8.0 3.5 3.0 84.48 McCoy was the D-Fenders’ interior fulcrum, combining efficient rim finishing with passing and back-line defense. In the semifinal loss to Idaho, he scored 23 points and added eight rebounds, four assists and four blocks, showing why Los Angeles could run offense through him without sacrificing interior protection. Fun While It Lasted archive All-NBA D-League Third Team (2008); D-League All-Star (2008)
Brandon Wallace Rebounding Forward / Defensive Connector (1.05) 37.0 Medium 12.0 13.5 1.5 3.5 64.05 Wallace became a high-minutes frontcourt stabilizer during the playoff run, doing his best work away from the ball. His semifinal line included 15 rebounds and three blocks, while his 13.5 RPG across the supplied postseason sample made him a major second-chance and defensive-possession presence. —
Errick Craven Defensive Pressure Floor General (1.05) 34.0 High 13.0 5.0 4.5 3.0 64.26 Craven pushed the pace from the point while applying constant ball pressure. His playoff profile is unusually defense-heavy for a lead guard, with three steals per game and 4.5 assists, and his earlier-season eight-assist performance against Colorado showed how effectively he could turn defensive pressure into organized offense. OurSports Central —
Coby Karl Playoff Shot-Creation Guard (1.05) 37.5 High 13.5 3.0 5.5 2.5 61.74 Karl handled a substantial share of the playoff creation load, functioning as a scoring guard who could also initiate offense. He played 40:39 in the semifinal and produced 20 points, six assists and four steals, illustrating the freedom Los Angeles gave him to manufacture offense even when the three-point shot was not falling. Los Angeles Times —
Wendell White Physical Two-Way Forward (1.05) 31.0 Medium 12.5 5.0 2.5 4.5 56.60 White supplied rugged forward play, attacking the paint rather than relying on perimeter volume. The postseason sample also shows an active defensive role, with 4.5 steals per game, while his earlier D-Fenders season established him as a dependable interior scorer with a strong two-point game. Las Vegas Sun —
Cecil Brown Secondary Scoring Guard (1.05) 33.0 Medium 14.0 3.5 2.5 0.5 47.36 Brown served as a secondary offensive option rather than the primary initiator, with enough perimeter range to punish defenses that collapsed toward the D-Fenders’ frontcourt. His return from injury late in the season was important to the rotation, and he logged 33:33 in the semifinal despite a difficult shooting night. OurSports Central — Lasme call-up and D-Fenders roster update —
Sean Banks Primary Wing Scorer (1.1) 22.0 High 11.0 4.0 2.0 0.0 44.88 Banks was the team’s established scoring wing, but his postseason contribution was compressed by injury. He had already shown his ability to carry an offensive possession load during the season, including a 24-point performance against Bakersfield, and his absence from the semifinal materially reduced Los Angeles’ perimeter scoring options. Los Angeles Times archive All-NBA D-League First Team (2008); D-League All-Star (2008)
Brian Morrison Spot-Up Scoring Reserve (1.0) 9.0 Low 11.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 26.00 Morrison supplied a short burst of perimeter offense in the semifinal, scoring 11 points in only 8:24 on four field goals and three made threes. That kind of instant scoring was useful in a playoff setting, although the tiny sample makes it difficult to project beyond a specialist reserve role. —
Abdoulaye N’Diaye Interior Depth Defender (1.0) 12.0 Low 1.0 3.0 0.0 0.5 9.00 N’Diaye was used primarily for size and interior depth rather than offensive creation. His 12-minute semifinal appearance produced three rebounds and a blocked shot, consistent with a short-rotation assignment focused on occupying the paint and absorbing frontcourt minutes. —
Darren Cooper Emergency Perimeter Reserve (1.0) 4.5 Low 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.00 Cooper had only a handful of postseason minutes, making this essentially a situational reserve role. His broader season function was that of a reserve perimeter scorer, and he returned to the D-Fenders the following season after finishing 2007-08 with a modest but useful offensive role. OurSports Central training-camp archive —