For Michael Beasley, the Time is Now

In the fall of 2007, Washington D.C. native Michael Beasley began what would become a brutal domination of college basketball, averaging 26.2 ppg and a nation-leading 12.4 rpg en route to being named a consensus first team All-American and finalist for both the John R. Wooden and Naismith Player of the Year Awards.

Beasley became the second consecutive standout freshman (following Kevin Durant the previous year) to win both Big 12 Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year accolades. To top it off, he earned two major National Player of the Year honor's from Rivals.com and CBS sports.

Drafted second overall by the Miami Heat, expectations were sky-high and fans and spectators worldwide expected Beasley to follow in the footsteps of Durant, another versatile forward who had dominated college and been selected with the No. 2 pick just a season earlier.

While it may be unfair to say Beasley's rookie season was poor, it definitely did not meet expectations. Beasley came off the bench for the majority of the season, finishing with averages of 13.9 ppg and 5.4 rpg while playing for Erik Spoelstra, the youngest coach in the NBA who, like Michael, was making his debut.

While critics, haters and fans alike have been quick to pass judgement on Beasley, the Miami Heat franchise is definitely not jumping to any conclusions when it comes to its 20-year-old phenom.

Beasley possesses that gifted combination of fluidity and freakish athleticism which will allow him to become a dynamic offensive player. For a player capable of playing both forward positions, he showed off a jump shot that is arguably the best in his class.

With his length, strength, versatility, athleticism, fluidity and shooting capabilities it is easy to see why so much has been invested in his talents—especially given the fact he is only 20 years old.

It is also important to note that while Beasley didn't produce those 20/10 numbers most expected, he came off the bench and was the second leading scorer for a playoff team.

In addition, his role off the bench was determined by Coach Spoelstra, who decided to reduce Beasley's role in order to teach him the importance of defensive intensity and playing hard on the defensive end of the floor. This will in turn make him a more complete player as he matures and continues to grow.

So let's flash back to the current state of the Miami Heat...

In the midst of a disappointing offseason for Miami it is clear that the improvement and impact of Michael Beasley will be vital next season. His dominant offensive repertoire will be needed, and with his new attention to defense, hopefully he will be crashing the boards and playing hard on both ends.

With the 2010 free agent season looming it is also becoming apparent that a breakout sophomore season from Beasley could be what is needed to show Dwyane Wade why he should stick around.

When the 2009-2010 regular season tips off in Miami all eyes will be on the player they call "B-Easy". In my mind I'm hoping the nickname Michael "Beastley" will stick.

The ability and potential is there, all that remains is for him to put it all together.

For Michael Beasley, there is no better time than now...