Shabazz Napier still getting used to the feel of a pro basketball

Here’s the Washington Post blog reporting on a Miami Heat rookie:

Some might be tempted to scoff at Miami Heat rookie Shabazz Napier’s excuse for his poor NBA Summer League performance — the ball. Like many aspects of NCAA and NBA basketball, the actual ball is not the same, a lesson Napier is learning the hard way.

“[M]y biggest thing is getting comfortable with that basketball,” Napier told the Associated Press. “That’s one of my biggest problems and it’s kind of ironic, because it’s a basketball. But it’s different than a college basketball.”

Both NCAA and NBA basketballs measure 29.5 inches, but the materials can vary. In the NBA, regulation balls are composed of leather, while in college, the balls can be made of pebbled rubber. Napier’s problems might be compounded by him never having touched an NBA ball until the combine.

Mike Beasley remains available in free agency

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting on Miami Heat free agent forward Michael Beasley:

Mike Beasley remains available in free agency

“I’ve grown,” he said. “Just like you can look back and say I did a lot of things I’m not proud of. Take it in stride, grow up and move on with life. So, I’ve grown. I’m more mature about situations.

“I’m definitely not as social as I used to be. That’s just because of trust issues. Just trust issues. I’m not going to get into all that. But I definitely don’t have as many friends as I used to have. That’s definitely by choice.”

He stressed that he lived alone, “me and the mosquitoes that bite me.”

Now he stands alone, again, for a second consecutive summer. He remains a scorer and a shooter, the league now left to decide whether he still is an NBA player.

A year ago, coach Erik Spoelstra said the mandate was basic for Beasley, “Embrace our culture. Embrace the routine. Embrace the work.”

Of course, what matters most is to be embraced in response.

Three weeks ago, Heat President Pat Riley said Beasley was “still a consideration.”

Instead, No. 8 belongs to another, the Heat seemingly having moved on. Again.

Timberwolves hope to establish an identity

Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting on the Timberwolves:

Timberwolves hope to establish an identity

Seven years after they traded away a star with the same first name, the Timberwolves did so again on Saturday, finally sending away discontented Kevin Love to Cleveland in a three-way trade before he could leave.

A pre-emptive strike before Love could walk away free next summer, the deal is intended to change the identity of a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since that other Kevin — the one named Garnett — played at Target Center long ago.

It brings the first player selected in each of the past two NBA drafts — this summer’s No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins and 2013’s Anthony Bennett — as well as Philadelphia veteran power forward Thaddeus Young and a $6-plus million trade exception the Wolves can use within the next year to add a player without salary-cap limitations.

In return, the Wolves sent Love to Cleveland, where he will play beside superstar LeBron James and pal Kyrie Irving on a team that now becomes an instant title contender, if it already wasn’t before. The Wolves also shipped to Philadelphia veteran forward Luc Mbah a Moute, Alexey Shved and Miami’s 2015 first-round pick received from the Cavaliers.

Loyalty helped Chris Andersen stay with Heat

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting on the Heat. Note that while loyalty probably was a factor, we have to assume that nice money was a factor. Anyway, here’s the Sun Sentinel:

Chris Andersen discusses why he stuck with Heat

Just as LeBron James cited going home as a reason for his free-agency return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chris Andersen said Saturday among the reasons he re-signed with the Miami Heat was because South Florida felt like home.

“It was definitely the loyalty from the fans and from the team,” said the Texas native who signed a two-year, $10.3 million contract with the Heat last month. “That had a big part of it. And it’s matter of me ending my career in a place that I’d be happy at and am familiar with.”

Andersen’s popularity was evident during his Saturday promotional appearance at the grand opening of the new Dick’s Sporting Goods location in Coral Springs, as he was mobbed by fans during an afternoon autograph session, with fans, including a few Birdman lookalikes, arriving before daybreak. The store’s supply of bracelets needed for his autograph was exhausted well before his arrival.

Cleveland Cavaliers sign rookie forward Dwight Powell

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward Dwight Powell, the 45th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Powell played four years at Stanford, appearing in 136 games (105 starts) with averages of 10.8 points and 6.3 rebounds in 26.2 minutes per game. The 6-11, 240-pound forward from Ontario, Canada is a two-time First Team All-Pac 12 selection. He averaged 14.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals during his senior season and was the Pac 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Powell also played for Canada in the World University Games in the summer of 2013.

During the 2014 Samsung NBA Summer in Las Vegas, Powell appeared in three games (one start) for the Cavaliers and averaged 5.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per game. He was originally acquired along with center Brendan Haywood in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for guard Scotty Hopson and cash considerations on July 12, 2014.

Hawks re-sign Shelvin Mack

Hawks re-sign Shelvin Mack

The Atlanta Hawks have re-signed guard Shelvin Mack, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry.

“Shelvin has proven himself to be an excellent fit in our program,” Ferry said. “On the court, he plays well within our system and possesses a toughness and level of unselfishness that we truly value,” Ferry said. “At 24, he is still a young player with the type of work ethic that can allow him to continue to keep getting better.”

In 73 games for the Hawks last season (11 starts), Mack averaged 7.5 points, 3.7 assists (second on the team) and 2.2 rebounds in 20.4 minutes while ranking seventh in the NBA in assist/turnover ratio (3.04). He scored in double-figures 22 times (one 20-plus effort) and had one double-double, leading the team in assists 14 times and in scoring once. Mack averaged season career-highs in points, rebounds and assists, while reaching career-bests in FT% (.865) and games played. In his starting assignments, he compiled 10.5 points, 4.7 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 30.4 minutes.

In three NBA seasons with Washington, Philadelphia and the Hawks, Mack has played in 168 games (with 14 starts), averaging 5.5 points, 2.8 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 16.0 minutes. He’s also appeared in 11 postseason games with the Hawks, putting in 6.1 points, 2.9 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 12.7 minutes.