Former Florida Gator Bradley Beal Lighting It Up in NBA
By Brett Kaplan
Nov 8, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal (3) dunks the ball as Brooklyn Nets center Andray Blatche (0) looks on during the first half at the Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
There are 12 former Florida Gator basketball players in the NBA, but none have had a better opening to the season than Bradley Beal. Beal has really come into his own this season and leads the Washington Wizards in scoring.
Bradley Beal (2011-2012), Washington Wizards
Beal leads the Wizards in scoring at 21.2 ppg. Wednesday night, Beal scored 26 points, going 6-for-7 from beyond the arc, seven rebounds, and eight assists to lead Washington to victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s had four straight games of double-digit points. Beal and the Wizards play Friday at the Toronto Raptors before coming home to face the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers. They’ll end the week at the Milwaukee Bucks next Wednesday night.
Matt Bonner (1999-2003), San Antonio Spurs
Bonner played in Wednesday night’s game, his fourth of the season, and finished with three points and one assist in 14 minutes. His numbers on the season are 3.5 ppg, 1.3 rpg, and .5 apg with a 44.4% three-point percentage in limited minutes. Bonner and the Spurs play Friday at Nick Calathes, Mike Miller and the Memphis Grizzlies, before going home to play the Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Pelicans. They’ll finish the week up at the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Corey Brewer (2004-2007), Minnesota Timberwolves
Brewer has had a pretty solid season so far, averaging 14.2 ppg, 1.4 apg, 2.5 rpg, while shooting 47% and starting all 13 games for the Timberwolves. He faces the Brooklyn Nets Friday before heading to Chandler Parson’s Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers and then returning home to face his old team, the Denver Nuggets.
Nick Calathes (2007-2009), Memphis Grizzlies
Calathes has been used sparingly, playing in only seven games on the young season for the Grizzlies. Calathes averages 1.9 ppg, 2.1 apg, and 1.3 rpg, in just 11 mpg.
Mike Miller (1998-2000), Memphis Grizzles
Miller has been a key player off the bench for the Grizzlies. He’s averaging 6.9 ppg, 2.3 apg, 4.1 rpg, hitting 45.2% of three-point shots in 24 minutes per game.
Calathes and Miller play Matt Bonner and the Spurs Friday before hosting Chandler Parsons’ Houston Rockets and playing at the Boston Celtics.
Udonis Haslem (1998-2002), Miami Heat
Haslem has been dealing with a back injury that has forced him to miss four games for Miami. He played eight and six minutes against the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic respectively, which is about half the time he usually spends on the floor. Haslem averages 3.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, and .1 bpg while shooting 50% from the field. Haslem and the Heat host the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns, before heading to Cleveland to play the Cavaliers this week.
Al Horford (2004-2007), Atlanta Hawks
Horford leads the Hawks with 8.2 rpg and 2.1 bpg and is second on the team with 17.2 ppg in 32 mpg. He shoots 56.2% from the field. Atlanta plays at the Detroit Pistons Friday before hosting the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic. The Hawks close the week at Chandler Parsons’ Houston Rockets.
David Lee (2001-2005), Golden State Warriors
Lee has started all 12 games for the Warriors, averaging 30.6 mpg. He leads the team in rebounding (8.8 rpg) and averages 17.4 ppg, scoring double-digits in all 12 games. Lee also has four double-doubles on the season.
Marreese Speights (2006-2008), Golden State Warriors
Speights has come off the bench in all 12 games, averaging 4.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, and .3 bpg. He looks to get more playing time because of an injury to Jermaine O’Neal.
Lee and Speights’ Warriors go to the Los Angeles Lakers Friday, then host the Portland Trail Blazers before traveling to the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks.
Erik Murphy (2009-2013), Chicago Bulls
Murphy is averaging only 1.3 mpg in four games for the Bulls. In that time, he has yet to score his first NBA points, but is averaging .5 rpg, and .3 bpg.
Joakim Noah (2004-2007), Chicago Bulls
Noah started all nine games for the Bulls this season, averaging 8.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg, ,9 bpg, while playing 29.8 mpg.
Murphy and Noah’s Bulls hit the road to play at the Denver Nuggets Thursday, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz, and Detroit Pistons.
Chandler Parsons (2007-2011), Houston Rockets
Parsons has started all 13 games for the Rockets, averaging 37.8 mpg. He’s shooting 51.3% from the field while averaging 16.8 ppg, 4.2 apg, and 5.2 rpg. This week Parsons and the Rockets against Brewer’s Minnesota Timberwolves, at Calathes and Miller’s Memphis Grizzlies, and versus Horford’s Atlanta Hawks.
So Gator fans, there are plenty of former Gators facing each other this week with San Antonio Spurs playing the Memphis Grizzlies Friday, the Houston Rockets hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves Saturday, the Grizzlies hosting the Rockets Monday, and the Atlanta hawks facing Houston Wednesday. Enjoy Gator fans!
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