NEW YORK — The Raptors 905 announced Tuesday that first-year head coach Jerry Stackhouse will coach the Eastern Conference D-League all-star team on Saturday, Feb. 18 in New Orleans.
Stackhouse has steered the Eastern Conference-leading Raptors 905 to a franchise-best 22-8 (.733) record including a nine-game winning streak over the course of January, an extraordinary feat as a first-year head coach
The NBA Development League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire will also feature Western Conference Los Angeles D-fenders rookie head coach Coby Karl, whose team carries a league-leading 24-7 record (.774).
Stackhouse and Karl will be joined by their respective coaching staffs for the 11th annual NBA D-League All-Star Game, which will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome at 2:30 p.m. ET.
The 905 carry an impressive 11-1 record on the road this season and lead the league in plus minus (+-) at 6.4, edging out the D-Fender’s mark of 6.1,
“He’s an ultra competitor, I think that goes without saying,” said Fred VanVleet to the Toronto Star. “The way he played and just the long, successful career he had as a player translates into him being a coach now.”
Stackhouse will join fellow Toronto Raptors all-stars Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan in New Orleans for the NBA’s all-star weekend festivities.
Toronto’s Dwane Casey missed out on becoming the first ever Raptors coach to head an Eastern Conference all-star game, due to a stretch where the club lost seven of 10 games, including losses to the Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets and twice to the Orlando Magic. Since that tough stretch they have run off two wins vs. the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Boston Celtics’ Brad Stevens was officially announced the head coach for the East team on Friday. He will go against Steve Kerr and the Western Conference All-Star club on Sunday, Feb. 19th.
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue will not coach the all-star game by virtue of an NBA rule prohibiting coaches from taking part in two-consecutive all-star games.
Stackhouse will have some company, as big man Edy Tavares has been named to the Eastern Conference squad as well.
Written by Jas Grewal
Photo by RM Photog
Drew Ebanks
