Will Michael Beasley, Dorell Wright, and Daequan Cook Be Better Away??

As the Miami Heat franchise embarks on a new era of basketball, they gave up on some young guys that will be missed by many fans.

It’s odd that an organization that preached loyalty heavily over the past few months, were anything but too Michael Beasley, Dorell Wright, and Daequan Cook.

Never the less, their chapter of Miami Heat basketball is written. They must now embark on a journey that doesn’t appear to be as prosperous as their former teammates that remain in Miami.

Beasley is out West in cold Minnesota and already is dealing with what is shaping out to be a petty beef by Kevin Love. And then there were the recent comments by team President David Kahn, who stated that Beasley smoked too much pot.

Dorell Wright is in Golden State and about to embark in a three man battle for minutes at the small forward position.

Cook doesn’t look like he’ll be apart of the Thunder squad as he was traded to a worst case scenario. Miami could have done better in finding him a destination.

Anyway, I just thought the fans of these players might like a read about what their future hold.

Daequan Cook: 3 year pro (23-year-old)

This can’t be what Daequan Cook envisioned when he entered the NBA draft three years ago, fresh off his freshman season at Ohio State University. Sure he was a first round pick in 2007, but now he is now facing the prospects of not even being in the league after his contract runs out after the 2010-11 season.

After three seasons in Miami, he now finds himself in unfamiliar territory after being traded this offseason.

This past season was a rough one for the Ohio native. He only played 45 games due to shoulder injuries.

After scoring in double figures in 51 percent of his games as a sophomore and winning the NBA Three-Point Shootout, the Heat had high hopes for Cook. He was to be the dependable six-man that they would need to get back to the playoff and past a first round berth.

Those hopes were dashed early in the season.

Cook tried to play through his injured shoulder, it was apparent that he was doing more bad than good. He shot a woeful 27 percent from deep in the month of November and missed five of the team fourteen games played. He’d then miss five of the team fourteen games in December, and though he shot 36 percent during the month, he had already fallen out of favor with the coaching staff.

Now he finds himself in Oklahoma City and apart of the Thunder organization. The prospect of him getting off their bench isn’t too bright, and it might be in his best interest to request a trade.

The Thunder have three players that are probably better players than he is and are way more proven in the NBA.

Cook will be entering his fourth NBA season and playing for his second team. And as stated, it will be a contract year for him. If he isn’t careful and just a tad bit lucky, it very well may be his last season as a NBA player.

He’s still a skilled player with a lot of potential to do some pretty good things in this league. The thing with him is finding a suitable and idle home. A team like Utah would have been a better fit for his abilities and talents.

He will have to work hard to fight out of the hole that he’s currently in. It’ll be interesting to see what this 23-year-old can achieve this season and beyond.

The irony of the whole situation is he very well could find his way back in Miami after this up-coming season.

I hope he comes out on top; he’s a good kid and worked extremely hard while a member of the Miami Heat organization.

Dorell Wright: 6 year pro (24-year-old)

Dorell Wright chose to head home rather than play for a minimum contract, not that the Heat offered one though. And many, including myself, think he landed in the best place possible; Golden State.

Coming off a season where he was arguably the Heat’s fifth best player. Wright bounced backed hard after missing 76 games in the 2008-09 season, to play a career high 72 games.

He would also display his shooting stroke that Heat fans had been waiting on for more than five seasons. Now as quick as he made Heat fans smile this past season, he’s making them say good-bye.

Wright is set to take his talents back to his birth state, California, in hopes of living up to the potential he displayed before he was drafted. He has a very good chance of becoming a starter in Golden State; it’s clearly on him to beat out a former D-Leaguer and a NBA journeyman.

It’s kind of odd that Wright selected Golden State to go play for, he could have gone to San Antonio and had just as good a shot at starting, while still being apart of a winning organization. I guess after dealing with the pressures of being around older players, Wright might just wanted to be around guys closer to his own age.

He has a golden opportunity in Golden State, his skill set and athletic ability is a perfect blend with that team’s system. If he can achieve thirty-plus minutes per game, I expect him to put up better than 13 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assist, 1.5 steals and a 1 block per game.

I expect him to be a leader for the Warriors and a defensive enforcer. Heat fans will miss Wright and the energy he brought when he stepped on the floor.

But don’t be shocked if Riley finds away to bring him back, all it would take is packaging two veteran minimum contracts. Say Howard and Arroyo, I’d rather like that, but that’s probably wishful thinking.

Anyway, I expect Wright to become a very productive player over the next three years. Just wished it was happening in a Miami Heat uniform.

Michael Beasley: 2 year pro (21-year-old)

Now free of the pressures of playing in Miami and its’ idiotic media personalities that were too lazy to report on anything not related to Beasley and his struggles, Beasley will take his enormous talents to Minnesota.

Beasley has a chance to be the focal point of the Timberwolves offense come next season, he will enter the season with the highest point per game average of any player on their roster.

However his road won’t be as smooth as he likes, as he’s already dealing with the same foolish sentiments that he dealt with in Miami.

One of his draft mates and teammate, Kevin Love is already commenting on why he believes Michael Beasley should be moved to the small forward position, so that he can start at the power forward position. Love also commented on Beasley’s troubles in Miami, even though the two players have never actually sat down and conversed on what Beasley has or hasn’t done.

And even the teams’ president, David Kahn, is getting in on the act. After praising Beasley and saying how he thought Beasley was the kind of player the franchise could build around, Kahn would make a statement that cost him and the Timberwolves organization to be fined by NBA commissioner David Stern this week.

Apparently, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

Never the less, Beasley is set to get a crash course on being-the-man. The Timberwolves will feature him and he will play 30 plus minutes every night barring foul trouble.

I expect big things from Beasley who can become an unrestricted free-agent at the end of this season if Minnesota doesn’t pick up his remaining year.

I’ll also be eagerly anticipating his return to Miami and what he does against Bosh.
All in all, I expect Beasley to become a dominant player in the NBA. On both ends of the floor I expect him to make plays and force folks to take notice of him, both fans and players alike.

His numbers for next year should be 18 plus points, 9 rebounds, 3 assist, 1.5 steals, and a block. You can hold me to that.

Would be nice to see the kid get an All-Star berth next season, wouldn’t surprise me at all.