Last Updated on October 5, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

The Los Angeles D-Fenders’ 2008-09 season was a year of transition following the franchise’s breakthrough run to the Western Conference Finals the previous season. While the team remained one of the league’s more entertaining offensive groups, it was unable to replicate its earlier success and finished 28-22, narrowly missing the playoffs. Guard Joe Crawford continued to be a major scoring threat and earned All-NBA D-League First Team honors, while Coby Karl remained a central playmaker and one of the roster’s most recognizable figures. The D-Fenders also provided opportunities for several players on the fringe of NBA rosters, reflecting the organization’s close ties to the Lakers. Despite the disappointing finish, the season reinforced the club’s reputation as a launching point for NBA hopefuls and maintained the fast-paced style that had become a hallmark of the franchise’s early years.

Roster

NO. PLAYER NAME POS HT WT DATE OF BIRTH COLLEGE
2 Lawrence McKenzie G 6 ft 2 in 180 lbs April 29, 1985 Minnesota
3 Othella Harrington F-C 6 ft 9 in 235 lbs January 31, 1974 Georgetown
10 Darren Cooper G 6 ft 3 in 180 lbs July 9, 1983 Portland
13 Brandon Heath G 6 ft 4 in 200 lbs March 1, 1984 San Diego State
14 Joe Crawford G 6 ft 5 in 210 lbs June 17, 1986 Kentucky
15 Charlie Parker G 6 ft 3 in 195 lbs October 6, 1985 Texas Southern
21 Anthony Coleman F-C 6 ft 11 in 220 lbs October 6, 1982 Long Beach State
21 Dominique Scales F 6 ft 9 in 230 lbs May 23, 1983 East Central
22 Duane Erwin F 6 ft 9 in 250 lbs August 1, 1982 Memphis
32 Johnny Dukes F 6 ft 8 in 210 lbs September 8, 1984 San Francisco
32 Sun Yue G 6 ft 7 in 205 lbs November 6, 1985 —
33 Ryan Forehan-Kelly F 6 ft 6 in 195 lbs January 14, 1980 California
33 Curtis Terry G-F 6 ft 4 in 200 lbs August 27, 1985 UNLV
42 Gabriel Hughes F-C 7 ft 0 in 240 lbs December 16, 1980 California
42 Jamaal Brown F 6 ft 7 in 240 lbs November 22, 1983 Cal State Fullerton
44 C.J. Giles F-C 6 ft 11 in 240 lbs September 23, 1985 Oregon State
44 Jasper Johnson F 6 ft 7 in 275 lbs May 21, 1983 Delta State
44 Mickael Gelabale F 6 ft 7 in 215 lbs May 22, 1983 —
50 Dwayne Mitchell G 6 ft 5 in 210 lbs August 24, 1982 Louisiana-Lafayette
99 Earl Barron C 7 ft 0 in 270 lbs August 14, 1981 Memphis
99 Rashid Byrd C 7 ft 1 in 240 lbs September 18, 1981 Texas-Pan American

Per Game

PLAYER NAME POS AGE GP GS MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Dwayne Mitchell G 25 49 49 39.4 18.6 6.9 4.3 1.9 0.3 2.8 12.7 6.6 .514 1.3 0.3 .238 7.5 5.1 .683
Joe Crawford G 21 43 42 38.2 20.8 4.6 2.7 1.0 0.2 2.5 15.9 7.6 .475 5.4 2.0 .377 4.5 3.7 .828
Brandon Heath G 23 50 41 32.9 15.4 4.0 4.2 1.4 0.1 2.4 13.5 6.0 .444 5.1 1.7 .337 2.2 1.7 .750
Ryan Forehan-Kelly F 27 31 8 29.1 12.9 4.5 3.2 1.7 0.6 1.0 9.7 5.0 .510 3.1 1.5 .479 1.7 1.5 .852
Darren Cooper G 24 43 14 23.7 7.3 1.9 2.4 0.9 0.1 1.1 6.0 2.4 .401 2.7 1.1 .415 1.6 1.3 .826
Gabriel Hughes F-C 27 35 27 20.9 8.9 7.2 1.0 0.3 0.8 1.8 5.8 3.2 .554 0.0 0.0 3.5 2.5 .705
Charlie Parker G 22 32 12 18.6 6.8 2.2 1.7 1.0 0.2 0.9 5.4 2.6 .483 0.8 0.3 .360 2.2 1.3 .594
CJ Giles F-C 22 11 9 27.0 12.5 8.3 0.8 0.6 2.1 1.6 9.6 5.3 .547 0.2 0.0 .000 3.2 2.0 .629
Earl Barron C 26 13 6 28.3 9.9 7.2 2.4 0.5 0.7 2.3 10.0 4.2 .415 0.1 0.0 .000 2.5 1.6 .636
Jamaal Brown F 24 14 7 28.2 8.7 5.3 1.5 0.4 0.4 1.3 7.5 3.5 .467 0.1 0.0 .000 2.5 1.7 .686
Longar Longar C 24 14 2 22.3 7.8 6.2 1.0 0.4 1.4 1.4 5.8 2.8 .481 0.0 0.0 3.5 2.2 .633
Duane Erwin F 25 14 8 23.9 7.1 4.6 2.6 0.7 1.4 1.3 6.6 2.9 .441 0.2 0.0 .000 2.0 1.2 .607
Mickael Gelabale F 24 6 0 31.3 16.0 4.3 1.7 1.0 0.2 1.0 13.0 6.5 .500 3.2 1.3 .421 2.0 1.7 .833
Rashid Byrd C 26 19 0 15.6 4.9 3.7 0.3 0.3 1.1 1.5 5.3 2.2 .410 0.0 0.0 1.7 0.6 .344
Anthony Coleman F-C 25 9 9 31.4 7.3 5.4 1.8 0.4 1.6 2.9 7.0 2.8 .397 0.7 0.0 .000 2.9 1.8 .615
Sun Yue G 22 6 6 33.3 9.8 3.3 3.7 1.3 2.3 2.0 9.7 3.8 .397 3.5 1.3 .381 1.2 0.8 .714
Marcus White F 24 9 3 20.0 6.3 6.3 0.7 1.1 0.3 0.9 5.6 2.4 .440 0.0 0.0 1.9 1.4 .765
Curtis Terry G-F 22 16 0 13.3 3.1 1.5 0.7 0.1 0.0 0.8 3.7 1.2 .322 1.9 0.5 .267 0.3 0.2 .600
Jasper Johnson F 24 4 4 30.8 11.3 6.0 3.3 2.3 0.8 2.5 12.8 4.5 .353 2.0 0.5 .250 2.3 1.8 .778
Lawrence McKenzie G 22 10 1 13.5 3.5 0.9 2.1 0.2 0.0 1.1 3.8 1.4 .368 1.3 0.4 .308 0.6 0.3 .500
Othella Harrington F-C 33 3 0 14.0 2.0 3.3 1.0 0.3 0.7 2.7 2.3 0.7 .286 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.7 .667
Johnny Dukes F 23 2 2 13.0 2.0 2.0 1.5 0.5 0.0 1.0 5.5 1.0 .182 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 .000
Dominique Scales F 24 3 0 6.7 0.7 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.3 2.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 1.3 0.7 .500

Playoffs

PLAYER POS AGE GP GS MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Dwayne Mitchell G 25 49 49 1929 909 338 210 93 16 135 624 321 .514 63 15 .238 369 252 .683
Joe Crawford G 21 43 42 1641 896 196 117 45 7 109 684 325 .475 231 87 .377 192 159 .828
Brandon Heath G 23 50 41 1644 768 199 209 70 5 120 674 299 .444 255 86 .337 112 84 .750
Ryan Forehan-Kelly F 27 31 8 903 400 140 100 53 18 32 302 154 .510 96 46 .479 54 46 .852
Darren Cooper G 24 43 14 1019 312 81 102 39 5 48 257 103 .401 118 49 .415 69 57 .826
Gabriel Hughes F-C 27 35 27 733 310 253 34 10 29 64 202 112 .554 0 0 122 86 .705
Charlie Parker G 22 32 12 596 216 70 55 32 7 28 172 83 .483 25 9 .360 69 41 .594
CJ Giles F-C 22 11 9 297 138 91 9 7 23 18 106 58 .547 2 0 .000 35 22 .629
Earl Barron C 26 13 6 368 129 93 31 7 9 30 130 54 .415 1 0 .000 33 21 .636
Jamaal Brown F 24 14 7 395 122 74 21 5 5 18 105 49 .467 1 0 .000 35 24 .686
Longar Longar G 24 14 2 312 109 87 14 5 19 19 81 39 .481 0 0 49 31 .633
Duane Erwin F 25 14 8 334 99 65 36 10 19 18 93 41 .441 3 0 .000 28 17 .607
Mickael Gelabale F 24 6 0 188 96 26 10 6 1 6 78 39 .500 19 8 .421 12 10 .833
Rashid Byrd C 26 19 0 297 93 70 6 5 20 28 100 41 .410 0 0 32 11 .344
Anthony Coleman F-C 25 9 9 283 66 49 16 4 14 26 63 25 .397 6 0 .000 26 16 .615
Sun Yue G 22 6 6 200 59 20 22 8 14 12 58 23 .397 21 8 .381 7 5 .714
Marcus White F 24 9 3 180 57 57 6 10 3 8 50 22 .440 0 0 17 13 .765
Curtis Terry G-F 22 16 0 212 49 24 11 1 0 13 59 19 .322 30 8 .267 5 3 .600
Jasper Johnson F 24 4 4 123 45 24 13 9 3 10 51 18 .353 8 2 .250 9 7 .778
Lawrence McKenzie G 22 10 1 135 35 9 21 2 0 11 38 14 .368 13 4 .308 6 3 .500
Othella Harrington F-C 33 3 0 42 6 10 3 1 2 8 7 2 .286 0 0 3 2 .667
Johnny Dukes F 23 2 2 26 4 4 3 1 0 2 11 2 .182 0 0 2 0 .000
Dominique Scales F 24 3 0 20 2 3 0 0 1 1 6 0 .000 0 0 4 2 .500

Regular Season

PLAYER NAME ROLE TIER MPG USAGE TIER PPG RPG APG STK IMPACT INDEX NOTES AWARDS
Dwayne Mitchell Primary Two-Way Forward (1.1) 39.4 High (1.2) 18.6 6.9 4.3 2.2 84.48 As the D-Fenders’ most versatile creator, Mitchell operated comfortably from the wing and forward spots, attacking gaps while also doing the dirty work on the glass. His 4.3 assists and 1.9 steals fit a player who regularly influenced possessions beyond scoring. OurSportsCentral — NBA D-League Daily Developments —
Joe Crawford Primary Shot-Creating Wing (1.1) 38.2 High (1.2) 20.8 4.6 2.7 1.2 77.35 Crawford was the D-Fenders’ principal scoring outlet, with a wing scorer’s willingness to work into jumpers and attack closeouts rather than simply waiting for catch-and-shoot chances. His strong shooting season translated into a late-March Knicks call-up, underlining how his D-League production was viewed beyond the affiliate. D-League Performer of the Week (2009); All-NBA D-League Honorable Mention (2009)
Brandon Heath Franchise Floor General (1.05) 32.9 High (1.2) 15.4 4.0 4.2 1.5 63.25 Heath functioned as the primary point guard, balancing scoring pressure with table-setting duties and enough defensive activity to stay involved away from the ball. His 4.2 assists alongside 15.4 points made him more than a scoring guard; he helped organize the D-Fenders’ half-court offense. —
Mickael Gelabale Two-Way Wing Catalyst (1.05) 31.3 High (1.2) 16.0 4.3 1.7 1.2 58.46 Gelabale’s six-game stint was brief, but the role was substantial immediately: a scoring wing with legitimate perimeter range and enough size to contribute across positions. He had only recently returned from a serious knee injury, making the efficient shooting and aggressive offensive role particularly notable. Cholet Basket — Interview Mickael Gelabale —
C.J. Giles Rim-Protecting Centerpiece (1.05) 27.0 Medium (1.1) 12.5 8.3 0.8 2.7 56.13 Giles gave Los Angeles a true interior defensive presence, combining rebounding with 2.1 blocks and physical work around the rim. The D-Fenders ultimately moved him to Sioux Falls for Earl Barron, so his season was more of a productive interior stint than a long-term fixture. —
Ryan Forehan-Kelly Secondary Wing Creator (1.05) 29.1 Medium (1.1) 12.9 4.5 3.2 2.3 52.90 Forehan-Kelly supplied an unusually complete reserve package, capable of spacing the floor, moving the ball and making defensive plays without needing a heavy isolation diet. His 3.2 assists and 1.7 steals helped make him a useful connective piece whenever his minutes increased. —
Jasper Johnson Scoring Forward Specialist (1.0) 30.8 Medium (1.1) 11.3 6.0 3.3 3.1 52.14 In only four appearances, Johnson handled a surprisingly broad offensive assignment, while his 2.3 steals showed an aggressive defensive approach. The tiny sample makes sustained conclusions difficult, but his documented stint looked more like an active scoring-and-rebounding forward than a passive reserve. —
Earl Barron Starting Interior Presence (1.05) 28.3 Medium (1.1) 9.9 7.2 2.4 1.2 47.82 Barron arrived as an interior replacement after the D-Fenders traded Giles, immediately giving the rotation another physical rebounder and post presence. His 7.2 rebounds and 0.7 blocks suggest a center whose value came largely from occupying the paint and cleaning up possessions. —
Sun Yue Defensive Utility Playmaker (1.05) 33.3 Medium (1.1) 9.8 3.3 3.7 3.6 47.12 Yue’s D-League assignment was primarily developmental, giving the 6-foot-9 guard the freedom to handle the ball and defend multiple positions after barely playing for the Lakers. He produced an especially active defensive stint, while his passing gave Los Angeles another oversized playmaking option. Los Angeles Times — Lakers send Sun Yue to D-League NBA Champion (2009)
Gabriel Hughes Starting Interior Anchor (1.05) 20.9 Medium (1.0) 8.9 7.2 1.0 1.1 38.22 Hughes worked as a traditional interior anchor, supplying screens, offensive rebounding and paint finishing while protecting the rim in shorter bursts. His efficient .554 shooting and 2.8 offensive rebounds point to a player whose influence came more from interior positioning than from creating his own offense. —
Longar Longar Backup Rim Protector (1.0) 22.3 Low (1.0) 7.8 6.2 1.0 1.8 33.60 Longar was primarily an interior rotation piece, using his size around the basket and providing secondary rim protection. His season ended after an injury-related transaction in March, limiting the amount of continuity he could establish with the D-Fenders. —
Anthony Coleman Defensive Frontcourt Reserve (1.0) 31.4 Low (1.0) 7.3 5.4 1.8 2.0 33.00 Coleman supplied physical frontcourt minutes and defensive activity before an injury ended his D-Fenders stint. The 1.6 blocks and 5.4 rebounds suggest a player trusted more for interior disruption and effort than for offensive creation. —
Duane Erwin High-Energy Frontcourt Reserve (1.0) 23.9 Low (1.0) 7.1 4.6 2.6 2.1 32.80 Erwin brought energy around the frontcourt, with enough passing to keep possessions moving and enough defensive activity to affect plays away from the ball. His season was interrupted by injury, which also contributed to the team’s frequent reshuffling of its interior rotation. —
Jamaal Brown Interior Rotation Big (1.0) 28.2 Low (1.0) 8.7 5.3 1.5 0.8 32.60 Brown’s role centered on physical interior minutes rather than offensive creation, with his value coming from rebounding position and simple finishes around the basket. He was waived in January as Los Angeles continued adjusting its frontcourt personnel. —
Marcus White Rebounding Energy Forward (1.0) 20.0 Low (1.0) 6.3 6.3 0.7 1.4 29.40 White gave the D-Fenders an energetic rebounding option off the front line, particularly useful when the team needed extra physicality. His 6.3 rebounds in 20 minutes illustrates a role built around second possessions and interior activity rather than offensive volume. —
Darren Cooper Secondary Ball-Handling Guard (1.0) 23.7 Low (1.0) 7.3 1.9 2.4 1.0 25.20 Cooper functioned as a secondary organizer who could relieve the main guards and punish defenses when left open. His .415 three-point shooting gave the rotation some useful perimeter balance without requiring him to dominate possessions. —
Charlie Parker Rotation Two-Way Guard (1.0) 18.6 Low (1.0) 6.8 2.2 1.7 1.2 23.80 Parker played a compact rotation role, contributing occasional scoring while remaining active defensively. His minutes fluctuated considerably, but the combination of 1.7 assists and 1.0 steal shows a guard who could keep the offense functional without demanding many touches. —
Rashid Byrd Backup Shot-Blocking Big (1.0) 15.6 Low (1.0) 4.9 3.7 0.3 1.4 20.60 Byrd’s clearest value came around the rim, where his 1.1 blocks per game gave the D-Fenders a situational defensive option. His limited offensive role kept him largely in the category of a paint-focused reserve. —
Othella Harrington Veteran Interior Reserve (1.0) 14.0 Low (1.0) 2.0 3.3 1.0 1.0 14.60 Harrington’s three-game stint was essentially a short-term veteran frontcourt assignment, with little offensive responsibility. The small sample makes broader evaluation inappropriate, although his rebounding and passing provided some basic interior utility. —
Lawrence McKenzie Backup Point Guard (1.0) 13.5 Low (1.0) 3.5 0.9 2.1 0.2 13.40 McKenzie operated mainly as a reserve ball-handler, helping the D-Fenders survive stretches without their primary creators. His 2.1 assists in limited minutes fit a low-usage organizational role rather than a scoring assignment. —
Johnny Dukes Reserve Backcourt Shooter (1.0) 13.0 Low (1.0) 2.0 2.0 1.5 0.5 12.00 Dukes saw only two appearances, so the evidence supports a cautious description: a low-minute backcourt reserve asked to space the floor and provide occasional ball movement. The extremely small sample makes any larger role assessment speculative. —
Curtis Terry Perimeter Depth Wing (1.0) 13.3 Low (1.0) 3.1 1.5 0.7 0.1 10.80 Terry occupied a limited wing role before being waived in January, with his minutes mostly tied to roster depth rather than a defined offensive responsibility. His .267 three-point shooting also limited the spacing value he could provide during the stint. —
Dominique Scales Emergency Frontcourt Depth (1.0) 6.7 Low (1.0) 0.7 1.0 0.0 0.3 4.00 Scales appeared in only three games and played brief minutes, leaving too little evidence for a broader evaluation. His contribution was essentially emergency frontcourt depth during a season in which Los Angeles frequently adjusted its roster. —