October 11, 2013 – Page 2 – NBA Blog

Pau Gasol and Chris Kaman learning to play together

Gasol and Kaman were an effective duo for spurts of the Lakers’ 104-86 exhibition loss to the Sacramento Kings at MGM Grand Garden Arena, displaying a dynamic skill set that suggested there is enough room on the court for both 7-footers.

Gasol twice fed Kaman with alley-oop passes that resulted in layups … in the game’s first seven minutes. Kaman was constantly in motion, knowing Gasol’s proclivity for finding teammates in favorable spots.

“Pau makes it easy for everybody because he’s such a good passer and playmaker for other people,” said Kaman, who finished with 12 points and six rebounds to complement Gasol’s 13 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Reported by Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times

Warriors set for trip to China

Truth is, this China trip is going to be a monster. About 12 hours on a plane, into a time zone 15 hours ahead. When they get there, they’ll have appearances and community events, in addition to practice and two games against the Los Angeles Lakers.

“We’re not kidding anybody,” Warriors forward David Lee said. “This is not going to be the easiest trip for us.”

With that said, why is Lee excited? Why was there a spirited buzz after Warriors practice, their last on American soil for at least the next 10 days? The answer is in the opportunity this China trip presents.

The middle-of-training-camp trip to Asia affords the Warriors a chance to bond as a team. With potentially seven new players on the roster, Golden State is a month into its latest chemistry project. The hope is to recreate the magic of last season.

Reported by Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group

Michael Beasley punches himself in head during preseason game

Michael Beasley is an enthusiastic player. He gets excited. Sometimes his energy helps, and other times, not so much. But a common general rule both on and off the basketball court that Beasley forgot last night is, it’s generally unhelpful to punch yourself in the head.

Beasley also did something a little odd after one offensive play. Upset with himself over missing a shot, Beasley started punching himself in the head while running back on defense. He punched himself so hard that he needed treatment after the game from the Heat’s trainer. Steel compresses (like the ones cut doctors use in boxing) were applied to Beasley’s brow in the locker room.

Reported by Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald (Blog)

The good news is, the Heat don’t need much from Beasley. Just solid scoring off the bench, in-control play in the limited minutes he plays, and no more self-punching, and all will go pretty well.

Video profile: Get to know Cavaliers rookie Anthony Bennett

Video profile of Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Anthony Bennett:

Memphis Grizzlies sign guard Andre Barrett

The Memphis Grizzlies today signed free agent point guard Andre Barrett.

NBA preseason is ongoing, and that means many signings these days are merely “training camp deals,” and not guaranteed for the regular season. This may be the case with Barrett.

Barrett (5-10, 172) joins the Grizzlies after spending last season with the Maine Red Claws and Sioux Falls Skyforce in the NBA Development League. He averaged 7.5 points and 7.7 assists in 17 games for Maine and recorded 11.3 points and 7.9 assists in 16 appearances for Sioux Falls.

Undrafted in the 2004 NBA Draft, the 31-year-old holds NBA career averages of 3.3 points, 1.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 12.2 minutes in 67 games (one start) in four seasons for the Houston Rockets (2004-05), Orlando Magic (2004-05), Phoenix Suns (2005-06), Toronto Raptors (2005-06), Chicago Bulls (2006-07) and Los Angeles Clippers (2007-08). The Bronx native also has had D-League stints with the Florida Flame (2005-06), Bakersfield Jam (2007-08), Austin Toros (2007-08) and Idaho Stampede (2009-10) and has played overseas for Regal FC Barcelona in Spain (2008-09) and Chorale de Roanne Basket in France (2011-12).

The Grizzlies’ roster now stands at 17 players.