The Los Angeles D-Fenders announced today that they have officially hired assistant coaches Casey Owens and Thomas Scott to bolster the staff headed by Bob MacKinnon.
Owens coached alongside MacKinnon in the NBA D-League for the Idaho Stampede during their championship campaign in the 2009 season. He also has been an assistant coach for the Colorado 14ers and the Fayetteville Patriots and served as the head coach for the Dakota Wizards during the 2004-05 season. Additionally, Owens has experience coaching internationally in both the Chinese Basketball Association and the Venezuelan Professional League.
Scott has worked in various roles as both a video coordinator and assistant coach in the NBA as well as the NBDL. Most recently, Scott coached with the Canton Charge as an assistant and helped guide them to the East Division title last season. He is also the son of former Lakers guard and NBA coach Byron Scott.
The new hires will join MacKinnon’s staff along with fellow assistants Phil Hubbard and Larry Lewis. Together, the group will be looking for a fresh start to the year after posting a disappointing 21-29 record last season.
[showhide type=”pressrelease”]D-FENDERS HIRE CASEY OWENS & THOMAS SCOTT AS ASSISTANT COACHESEL SEGUNDO – The Los Angeles D-Fenders have hired Casey Owens and Thomas Scott as assistant coaches, it was announced today by D-Fenders General Manager Nick Mazzella.
“I am excited to be working with Casey and Thomas,” said D-Fenders head coach Bob MacKinnon. “Casey brings a wealth of experience to the D-Fenders organization, and I’m looking forward to working with him again. Thomas is a proven coach and someone that our players will love working with. I am confident that they will be valuable assets to our team.”
Owens, a 15-year veteran of professional basketball, has worked in coaching, player development, and scouting at the NBA, NBA Development League, CBA and international levels. Last season, Owens served as head coach for Guaiqueries of the Venezuelan Professional League. An assistant coach with the Colorado 14ers from 2007 to 2009, Owens helped lead the team to the 2009 NBA D-League Championship under current D-Fenders Head Coach Bob MacKinnon. Additionally, Owens has served as an assistant with the Fayetteville Patriots of the NBA D-League, and as an assistant coach and director of player personnel for the Dakota Wizards of the CBA. Later, Owens was promoted to head coach of the Dakota Wizards for the 2004-05 season where the team posted a league-best 32-16 record. During his time with Dakota, Owens was part of two teams that won the CBA Championship (2002, 2004). While coaching in the D-League and the CBA, Owens concurrently worked with the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets as an NBA D-League scouting consultant, the Chicago Bulls as head video coordinator and the Portland Trail Blazers as a scout. Owens has also coached abroad in China for three different teams. An experienced developer of NBA talent, Owens has helped foster 10 GATORADE NBA Call-Ups while serving in the NBA D-League.
Scott, son of former Los Angeles Lakers guard Byron Scott, brings a combined eight years of experience as an assistant coach and video coordinator at the NBA and NBA D-League levels. Scott spent the last two seasons as lead assistant coach for Alex Jensen, the 2013 NBA D-League Coach of the Year, helping the Canton Charge secure back-to-back playoff berths and win the 2013 East Division title. In his two seasons with Canton, the team posted a 57-43 record and totaled three GATORADE NBA Call-Ups. Prior to joining the Charge, Scott served in the NBA as assistant video coordinator for the New Orleans Hornets from 2006-2010, and player development coach/video coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2010-11.[/showhide]
