October 2013 – Page 24 – NBA Blog

Pau Gasol, Chris Kaman showing preseason chemistry

As they moved around the court in what marked their first time playing together in a competitive game, Pau Gasol and Chris Kaman became mirror images of each other.

They both played pick-and-roll. They facilitated up top. They posted down low.

Never did they do this at the same time. Instead, they fulfilled that job description by playing off one another. Add up all the ingredients in the Lakers’ 90-88 preseason victory Monday against the Denver Nuggets at Citizens Business Bank Arena. And it’s clear that both Gasol and Kaman won’t have problems working together.

They combined for 26 points on 11 of 22 shooting and 15 rebounds in nearly 24 minutes of work, leaving the two eager to pepper each other with compliments on why the chemistry instantly clicked.

Gasol praised Kaman’s mid-range jumper and spacing.

Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Blog)

Kobe Bryant health update

The current Lakers roster, minus the services of Kobe Bryant, has little chance of doing anything big this upcoming NBA season.

The roster with Kobe active… well, still not likely to do much and will face a very uphill battle simply qualifying for the playoffs, but they’ll certainly be more competitive and interesting to watch.

Here’s the latest on Kobe’s health:

Bryant, 35, is still recovering from surgery on his ruptured Achilles tendon. There is no firm timetable for his return, but he has been able to do some light jogging and set shooting during the first week of training camp.

“Just keep grinding. Keep working hard and getting better,” Bryant said of his Achilles rehab Tuesday in a courtside interview with Time Warner Cable during the Lakers’ 90-88 preseason win over the Denver Nuggets. “I gotta get in shape, too. I’ve been sitting on my butt now for a while. I gotta get up and get moving.”

He previously said it’s too soon to know whether it will be possible to play by the Lakers’ season opener against the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 29 but that he’s trying to get back as soon as possible.

Reported by Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles

The NBA is better with Kobe on the court. Hopefully he’s back in action soon.

Rockets: Marcus Camby struggling with injury

A healthy Marcus Camby would be a terrific limited-minutes backup to new Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard. We repeat: healthy.

Rockets center Marcus Camby, expected to be out another two weeks with a foot injury, could be out much longer if things don’t improve soon. Camby said Wednesday that the therapy he has been trying is to improve his condition enough to avoid surgery that would likely keep him out for as much as two months.

“My plantar fascia is torn,” Camby said. “I’m trying to do whatever I can to avoid surgery. We’re just going to rehab it and see how it goes in the next two weeks and take it from there. We don’t want to rehab it and nurse it and have it still be lingering. That is something I’m going to sit back and figure out and definitely look toward long term, as the season progresses to the second half of the season. I have to be smart about it.”

Reported by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle

As more injuries pile up on Camby’s old shoulders, relying on him becomes less realistic.

Melo wishes good health for Amare

There were probably plenty of reasons why Carmelo Anthony wanted to play for the New York Knicks back in 2011.

Money, marketing, the opportunity to be the face of a franchise in a major city — they all likely played a role.

But so did Amar’e Stoudemire.

Anthony says that the chance to play with Stoudemire was “one of the reasons I wanted to come to New York.”

So it’s difficult for Anthony to watch Stoudemire struggle with another knee injury.

“As a friend, it’s hard for me to sit back and act like it doesn’t bother me because I know how hard of a worker he is [and] I know the time that he puts in the gym to train and rehab,” Anthony said Tuesday. “To see him go forward and then take some steps back every time, it’s just sad.”

Reported by Ian Begley, special to ESPN New York

Rashard Lewis may have bigger role this season for Heat

Take one look at Lewis these days and it’s clear he’s feeling healthier, moving better and playing with more confidence than he has in quite some time. Now the task as the Heat begins the preseason is maintaining his range of motion and, in particular, keeping his knees happy.

After using its amnesty clause on Mike Miller this offseason to shave millions off the team’s books, the Heat is hoping Lewis can step in and contribute minutes when called upon. He’ll be battling with James Jones, Roger Mason Jr. and others for playing time, but that Lewis is even in the fight at this point is a positive sign.

“We’ll see how it plays out, but our guys all understand that at some point they’re all going to get an opportunity,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It has happened consistently over the last three years, and they’re pros enough to understand that there’s a sacrifice involved, but there is opportunity also available right now.”

Reported by Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald

Solomon Hill getting great experience buying lotion for Pacer teammates

First-year Pacers forward Solomon Hill has impressed head coach Frank Vogel as a “proven” player on the court, but to his teammates, he’s still a rookie — which makes Hill an errand boy.

Through the first week of training camp, center Roy Hibbert would often shout “Hey, Rook!” and dutifully, Hill would heed the command to bring the veteran a bottle of water. Even off the court, the rookie duties have continued.

“Hasn’t been anything too serious yet,” Hill said. “It hasn’t been too bad. Nothing too crazy. Get video games.”

“Grab towels for the guys, you know, some guys want certain lotions.”

Reported by Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star (Blog)

Matt Bonner lands himself a new Chevy Impala

NBA players live the lives few people can even dream of. Here’s an example:

Matt Bonner had been hoping to squeeze at least another 60,000 miles out of his 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix.

Alas, the Red Mamba’s sweet ride was put out of commission near the end of last season. Bonner declined to reveal details, but an exclusive Express-News investigation has learned that it was totaled in an accident. (Chalk up another one for the shmohawks.)

After making do for several months with an El Camino, he finally settled on a full-time replacement: the 2014 Chevy Impala, which beat out a slew of luxury competition to become the Official Car of Matt Bonner.

“Love it,” he said.

Reported by Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News (Blog)

I realize that the luxury described here sounds like something out of a movie. But I assure you, it’s real.

Several key Blazers are banged up

The Trail Blazers were back at practice Tuesday after making their preseason debut Monday in an 89-81 loss to the Clippers. That meant a little more court time for two of their key players, LaMarcus Aldridge and Mo Williams.

The veterans, who both sat out Monday’s game nursing injuries, went through Tuesday’s workout. Neither was sure if he would play in the team’s second exhibition game, against Phoenix at the Moda Center on Wednesday.

Aldridge continues to come back from a strained left quadriceps he suffered last Wednesday while running a sprint.

“I felt good,” Aldridge said. “We didn’t do a whole lot, but I felt good going up and down, a little sore, but that’s a given.”

Reported by Mike Tokito of the Oregonian

Clippers waive Mustapha Farrakhan and JaMychal Green

The Los Angeles Clippers announced today that they have waived Mustapha Farrakhan and JaMychal Green. The Clippers roster now stands at 16 players.

Farrakhan played seven minutes in last night’s 89-81 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, while Green had three rebounds in four minutes of action.

Farrakhan has spent the last two seasons in the NBA D-League with the Bakersfield Jam, Idaho Stampede, Sioux Falls Sky Force and Iowa Energy. In 72 career games (20 starts), he has averaged 8.0 points, 2.5 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 18.3 minutes. Farrakhan started the 2012-13 season with the Milwaukee Bucks, appearing in three preseason games for the Bucks before being released prior to the start of the regular season. He was the 13th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Development League by the Jam.

The 6’4” 175-pound guard played collegiately at the University of Virginia for four seasons. He averaged 13.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 31 games his senior season.

Green was a member of the Clippers 2013 Summer League team in Las Vegas. In four games (all starts), he averaged 7.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in 21.3 minutes of action. The Montgomery, Ala. native participated in training camp with the San Antonio Spurs prior to the 2012-13 season. The 6’8”, 240-pound forward spent all of last season with the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League, averaging 12.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 40 games (25 starts).

An undrafted forward out of Alabama, Green averaged 14.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks his final season for the Crimson Tide en route to being named All-SEC First Team.

Hawks: Gustavo Ayon out 4-8 weeks with shoulder injury

The Atlanta Hawks just lost some frontcourt depth for the near future.

Hawks forward/center Gustavo Ayon experienced a right shoulder injury during Atlanta’s game last night at Miami. An MRI and examination today by Dr. Michael Bernot at Peachtree Orthopedics in Atlanta revealed inflammation and a strain to the rotator cuff.

Ayon will now undergo a period of rest, treatment and rehabilitation. The expected recovery time is approximately 4-8 weeks and his status will be updated as appropriate.