2019-20 Delaware Blue Coats Media Guide
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
2019 - 2020 MEDIA GUIDE Message from NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim Dear Delaware Blue Coats Fans, Welcome to the NBA G League’s 19th season! We’re excited to have you join us for a game today to support the Delaware Blue Coats – one of a record 28 teams playing in our league this season. The NBA G League continues to be a training ground for some of the NBA’s top young talent. Last season, 52 percent of NBA players had NBA G League experience, more than 60 percent of the 2018 NBA Draft class spent time in our league, and an impressive total of 50 NBA G League players made the jump to the NBA. Those are numbers we’re proud of, and we’re grateful to have you witness this progress. Thank you for being here today and, when you’re away, don’t miss any Blue Coats action – tune in via phone, tablet or computer to ESPN or NBA TV. You can check out even more of the NBA G League on Twitter and Instagram (@nbagleague) and on Facebook at facebook.com/gleague to stay up-to-date on your favorite teams and players. It’s a fantastic time to be in the NBA G League family as we continue to grow and enhance our on-court product. You’re a special part of our league, and we hope you’ll come back soon. Enjoy the game! #JoinTheRevolution 2 Message from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Dear NBA G League Fan, Thank you for attending today’s NBA G League game in Delaware. With a record 28 teams this season, the G League plays a vital role in developing NBA players, coaches and executives and serves as a testing ground for new on-court rules. Last season, more than half of the players in the NBA had G League experience – and Nick Nurse, the head coach of the Toronto Raptors, became the first former G League head coach to win an NBA championship. Today, you will see the next generation of NBA talent on display and observe experimental rules that could be part of the future NBA experience. We are grateful that you could join us. Enjoy the game and thank you for your support. Sincerely, #JoinTheRevolution 3 DELAWARE BLUE COATS MEDIA GUIDE DIRECTORY PAGE INFORMATION 5 2019-20 QUICK INFORMATION 6 TEAM DIRECTORY 7 BASKETBALL OPERATIONS STAFF BIOGRAPHIES 10 2019-20 ROSTER 11 PLAYER BIOGRAPHIES (ALPHABETICAL BY LAST NAME) 21 2019-20 SEASON IN REVIEW 22 ALL-TIME GENERAL MANAGERS & COACHES 23 ALL-TIME GATORADE CALL-UPS 24 ALL-TIME NBA ASSIGNMENT, AWARDS & SINGLE SEASON RECORDS 2019-20 BLUE COATS SCHEDULE #JoinTheRevolution 4 BLUE COATS QUICK INFORMATION 2019-20 SEASON TEAM INFORMATION Team Address: 401 Garasches Lane, Wilmington, DE 19801 Business Phone: 302-504-7587 Website: Sixers.com/BlueCoats E-Mail: [email protected] Arena (Capacity): 76ers Fieldhouse (2,500) Arena Address: 401 Garasches Lane, Wilmington, DE 19801 NBA Affiliation: Philadelphia 76ers Twitter Handle: @blue_coats ABOUT THE BLUE COATS The Delaware Blue Coats are the official NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers. The Blue Coats are named for the legendary 1st Delaware Regiment, which was known for its signature blue combat uniforms and courageous participation in the American Revolution of 1776. The team plays its home games at the all-new 76ers Fieldhouse in Wilmington, Delaware. For information on 2019-20 season tickets, visit SIXERS.COM/BlueCoats. The Delaware Blue Coats organization is a Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment property. #JoinTheRevolution 5 TEAM DIRECTORY BUSINESS OPERATIONS Managing Partner: Josh Harris Co-Managing Partner: David Blitzer Chief Executive Officer: Scott O’Neil President: Larry Meli Sr. Director, Marketing & Communications: Alex Yoh Manager, Sales & Service: Justine Heidengren Manager, Business Development: Joe Kane Account Executive: Felicia Cruel Account Executive: Christian DelVecchio Account Executive: Nate Johnson Account Executive: Ryan McGovern Ambassador of Basketball: Joe Richmond Communications Associate: Matt Murphy Community Development Associate: Aris Watson BASKETBALL OPERATIONS General Manager: Matt Lilly Assistant General Manager: Ruben Boumtje Boumtje Head Coach: Connor Johnson Assistant Coach: Isaiah Fox Assistant Coach: Xavier Silas Assistant Coach: Alex Terés Head Athletic Trainer: Dan Erickson Sports Scientist and Strength and Conditioning Associate: Craig Whitworth-Turner Associate Physical Therapist: Shanon Fronek Manager, Basketball Operations: Danielle Lyons Video Coordinator: Quan Ngo Strength & Conditioning Assistant: Justin Rey Basketball Operations Associate: Mario Hicks #JoinTheRevolution 6 2019-20 BLUE COATS BASKETBALL OPERATIONS STAFF BIOS GENERAL MANAGER: MATT LILLY Lilly was promoted to General Manager, Delaware Blue Coats, after serving last season as Interim General Manager. In this role, Lilly will continue to oversee Blue Coats basketball operations, working closely with the 76ers to ensure a strong relationship between the NBA team and its G League affiliate. Lilly originally joined the 76ers organization prior to the start of the 2015-16 season and has held several roles at the G League level. In his four-year tenure, Lilly has played a key role in the team’s rebrand, move to Wilmington and the opening of 76ers Fieldhouse. Prior to joining Delaware, Lilly spent two seasons with the G League’s Erie franchise, serving first as an intern before being promoted to Video Coordinator/Director of Basketball Operations and Analytics. Lilly holds a bachelor’s degree in sport management from Towson University. ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER: RUBEN BOUMTJE BOUMTJE Boumtje Boumtje originally joined the 76ers in 2018 as a Technical Scout. A native of Cameroon, he played 10 years of professional basketball, including three in the NBA. Originally selected with the No. 50 overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, Boumtje Boumtje spent three seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers (2001-04), before continuing his career in Greece and Germany. Prior to joining the 76ers, he worked as a Data Scientist and Strategy Consultant for Siemens from 2015-18. A graduate of Georgetown University, Boumtje Boumtje holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s in applied mathematics and statistics from the school. HEAD COACH: CONNOR JOHNSON Johnson enters his second season as Head Coach of the Delaware Blue Coats. He previously spent the 2017-18 season as Director of Player Development and Coaching Administration for the Philadelphia 76ers, where he played an integral role on Head Coach Brett Brown’s staff as the team clinched a 50-plus win season for the first time since 2000-01. In his position, Johnson led the team’s efforts in player development and coaching logistics. Johnson also spent two seasons (2015-17) as the team’s Video Coordinator. Before joining the 76ers in 2014, Johnson served as a graduate assistant with the Villanova men’s basketball program under Head Coach Jay Wright. A native of San Diego, California, Johnson holds a Bachelor of Arts from Amherst College in Massachusetts and a master’s degree in public administration from Villanova. ASSISTANT COACH: ISAIAH FOX Fox joins the Blue Coats after spending the last year with the Los Angeles Lakers as a Player Development Coach. He previously served as an Assistant Coach with the South Bay Lakers, Los Angeles’ G League affiliate, from 2016- 18. The 6-foot-9 Fox was a four-year letter winner for the University of Arizona basketball team from 2002-06 under Naismith Hall of Fame Head Coach Lute Olson. Fox was selected in the 2008 NBA G League Draft and his #JoinTheRevolution 7 professional playing experience included stints in Australia, Mexico and Japan. ASSISTANT COACH: XAVIER SILAS Silas spent the last eight seasons playing in the NBA, the G League and internationally. His NBA experience includes stints with Philadelphia, Washington, Boston and Denver, appearing in two playoff games with Philadelphia in 2012. In 201 career G League contests (Maine, Bakersfield, Northern Arizona, Iowa), Silas averaged 14.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 29.6 minutes per contest and was named a 2018 G League All- Star. Internationally, he played in France (BCM Gravelines), Israel (Maccabi Ashdod), Argentina (Quimsa, San Lorenzo de Almagro), Greece (Nea Kifissia) and Germany (Telekom Baskets Bonn). Silas played collegiately at the University of Colorado Boulder (2006-08) and Northern Illinois University (2009-11). As a senior for Northern Illinois in 2011, he was named First Team All-Mid-American Conference after averaging a league-best 22.3 points per game. ASSISTANT COACH: ALEX TERÉS Terés arrives in Delaware from Spain, where his coaching career spans nearly three decades. A native of Barcelona, he served as Head Coach of three different clubs (CB Santfeliuenc, CE Sant Nicolau, CB Mollet) in Liga Española de Baloncesto Aficionado (EBA), reaching the finals six times in seven years. Terés also spent time with the EuroLeague FC Barcelona youth teams, where he was an Assistant Coach with the development team and Head Coach of the club’s U15 and U16 teams. A fixture in the Catalan and Spanish Basketball Federations since 1999, he has trained coaches of all levels in methodology and psychology for the last 20 years and also served as Head Coach of the U12 and U14 Catalan national teams. A graduate of the University of Barcelona, Terés holds degrees in psychology and education. HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER: DAN ERICKSON Erickson, MS/ATC/CSCS, enters his second season with the Blue Coats after previously spending four seasons (2014-18) with the Orlando Magic. He served the 2014-15 season as an Athletic Trainer Associate before being promoted to Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. Erickson holds a Bachelor of Science and a master’s degree in athletic training from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. SPORTS SCIENTIST, STRENGTH & CONDITIONING ASSOCIATE: CRAIG WHITWORTH-TURNER Whitworth-Turner spent the last year with U.S.