Los Angeles Lakers Blog – Page 62 – 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

Kobe Bryant return date: still weeks away

Kobe Bryant still weeks away from playing

Although Kobe Bryant is making steady progress in his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon, he’s still a few weeks away from playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bryant is back with the Lakers after a short trip to Germany to get treatment on his right knee, another trouble area for the 35-year-old guard. He sat on Los Angeles’ bench for an exhibition game Tuesday night, and he’ll travel with the team to China later this week.

But the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history isn’t committing to any return date until he gets in shape and figures out how his legs will hold up when he’s back in uniform.

“I haven’t said anything (about a return date),” Bryant said. “I just keep it all open right now. I don’t know why you guys are so hell-bent on deadlines. It’s like the most ridiculous thing to me. It’s entertaining. When I’m ready, I’m ready.”

Reported by the Associated Press

Los Angeles Lakers waive Eric Boateng and Dan Gadzuric

The Los Angeles Lakers have waived Eric Boateng and Dan Gadzuric, it was announced today.

Boateng, a free agent center out of Arizona State University, has split time over the last three seasons playing for the Idaho Stampede and the Austin Toros of the NBA’s Development League in addition to playing internationally for the Greek Basket League team Peristeri and the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig in Germany. The 6-10 center, who played one year (2005-06) at Duke before transferring to Arizona State University (2007-10), finished his collegiate career averaging 4.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 13.8 minutes over 116 games. Born in London, Boateng is also a member of the Great Britain national basketball team.

A ten-year NBA veteran, Gadzuric spent the 2012-13 season playing with Marinos de Anzoátegui in Venezuela. In 30 games with the team he averaged 10.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 19.4 minutes. Selected in the second round (34th overall) by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2002 NBA Draft, the 6-11 center out of UCLA has played in 527 career NBA games with Milwaukee, Golden State, New Jersey (now Brooklyn), Toronto and New York, averaging 4.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 14.8 minutes.

The Lakers training camp roster now stands at 17 players.

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.

Pau Gasol back in action for Lakers

With Kobe Bryant (temporarily) some 6,000 miles away in Germany and Dwight Howard (permanently) some 1,500 miles away in Houston, Pau Gasol had plenty of room to operate on the court for the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Gasol had 13 shot attempts in 23 minutes in the Lakers’ 97-88 loss to the Denver Nuggets. While he didn’t shoot the ball all that well (4-for-13 for 13 points) in his preseason debut and the first organized game he’s played in more than five months, just the sheer amount of touches was a welcome change for the 13-year veteran.

“I think that’s a good indication of how much liberty and how much my teammates also trust me to make plays and make shots and then, when the defense collapses, find them,” Gasol said after the game.

It was also a far cry from last season, when he was often positioned at the elbow to create space for Howard, while Bryant was left cajoling Gasol to buck the system for his own benefit.

Reported by Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles

Xavier Henry playing through sprained wrist

Nothing appears will stop Xavier Henry from trying to prove he’s worthy of cracking the Lakers’ roster.

The team divulged he suffered a moderately sprained right wrist during the Lakers’ 97-88 preseason loss Sunday to the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center. But both Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni and Henry downplayed the severity of the injury.

D’Antoni revealed Henry had been nursing the injury for “a couple weeks,” apparently hurting the injury during a pick-up game before training cap began eight days ago. Henry said the pain simply worsened because he “fell on it hard” Sunday during an undisclosed play.

“I’m okay,” Henry said.

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

Wesley Johnson to get MRI on strained left foot

The Lakers are holding out hope that it’s nothing serious, but forward Wesley Johnson will undergo an MRI Monday after straining his left foot in the Lakers’ 97-88 preseason loss Sunday to the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center.

Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said Johnson experienced a “burning sensation” in his foot, but it seems unclear what caused the injury.

“He doesn’t know,” D’Antoni said.

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

Kobe Bryant goes overseas for medical procedure

Kobe Bryant is heading overseas to have a medical procedure unrelated to the torn Achilles tendon he sustained in April.

The Los Angeles Lakers said Thursday that Bryant is expected to return early next week.

He went to Germany twice in 2011 for a procedure on his sore right knee and a sore left ankle that bothered him at the time.

The Los Angeles Times on Thursday cited people with knowledge of the situation as saying that Bryant was going to Germany this time. He was having a knee procedure that involves removing blood from the affected area and spinning it in a centrifuge. Molecules that cause inflammatory responses are then removed to create a serum that is injected back into the affected area.

Reported by the Associated Press

Recovery from Orthokine or Regenokine is typically quick compared to more severe knee procedures and does not add to Bryant’s recovery time from a torn Achilles’ tendon, which remains the larger issue. His availability for the Lakers’ Oct. 29 season opener against the Clippers is still unclear.

Bryant plans to have only his knee treated but will get other areas examined as well. His Achilles’ will not be part of the treatment, a Lakers spokesman said.

Orthokine targets proteins or molecules called interleukin that cause inflammatory responses. Blood is taken from a patient’s affected area and spun in a centrifuge to create a serum that is injected back into the targeted area.

Reported by Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times

Kobe Bryant continues to make progress in recovery

Five days into the Los Angeles Lakers’ training camp, Kobe Bryant took the court for the first time Wednesday.

Bryant didn’t practice with his teammates and the Lakers continue to avoid providing a timetable for their star guard’s return, but just seeing Bryant do some light jogging and set shooting was a sight for sore eyes for coach Mike D’Antoni.

“He just keeps progressing,” D’Antoni said. “He was out today shooting a little bit and jogging. He just keeps getting better.”

It was a minor step for Bryant, who has been sidelined from basketball activity since April as he rehabilitates a torn Achilles in his left leg, yet a significant one.

Reported by Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles