Michael Beasley Learning That The Grass Isn't Any Greener In Minnesota
Michael Beasley had hoped to be apart of the pending dynasty that is supposed to take place for the Miami Heat due to their All-Star trio. Instead he was jettisoned out of Miami for two second-round draft picks and cap relief to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Tonight Beasley returns to square off against the franchise that he helped guide to consecutive winning seasons during his first two years in the league.
After finishing as the Miami Heat’s second-leading scorer (14.8 points per game) for the second straight season, Beasley had hoped to be apart of whatever future the organization was trying to establish. The Heat on the other hand had different aspirations and clearly Beasley wasn’t apart of that.
The Heat stated that Beasley needed to be dealt to establish cap space for Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem. A statement that wasn’t exactly true, especially being that Miller is being paid $5 million this season and Beasley is making $4.9 in Minnesota. Haslem is being paid $3.5 million for his show of loyalty. But no one cares about this little white lie because it would shine a positive light in the direction of Beasley, and God forbid someone actually did that.
Or maybe someone or something does, especially considering that Miller is out until January and Beasley is playing a position, small forward, that Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra suggested he couldn’t succeed at. Beasley is also connecting on 75 percent of his three-pointers through his first three games. Surely the Heat could use that.
Or maybe his near eight rebounds per game average in only 28 minutes would be welcomed over the near seven of Chris Bosh in his 33 minutes. Whatever the case, it seems like the Heat were a bit premature in their decision to get rid of such a versatile and talented player.
Beasley Is Well Received In His New Surroundings
Beasley has been well received in Minnesota, and appears to be ecstatic about his new situation. He’s received more positive responses over the past 100 days then he did in his entire two-year stint in Miami.
The media in Minnesota has made it a point to accurately depict the young man and not just make up stories, something Ira Winderman, Michael Wallace and many other Miami reporters made a poor habit of doing. In doing so, a new light has been cast upon the character of Michael Beasley. Basketball fans get to see and read the true nature of the 21-year-old Maryland native.
This new found public respect has allowed Beasley to come out of his Heat induced shell. And though he’s matured since coming into the NBA, he’s finally being allowed to be a 21-year-old prodigy and not the guy that is suppose to help lift Dwyane Wade to greatness.
It was a burden that Beasley wouldn’t admit to during his time in Miami, but clearly it weighed heavy on him at times. And even now that he’s in Minnesota, he won’t say anything negative about the Heat organization or how he was handled. Instead he simply thanks them for making him a better player than he was before entering the league.
He even flew back to Miami to attend the funeral of Udonis Haslem's mother. Talk about a classy kid. What isn't classy is the comments of Wade in regards to Beasley returning, "Michael who? Oh, Beasley. I forgot that guy.''
Then again, it's probably okay because it doesn't allow Beasley to be portrayed in a positive light.
Minnesota Reminds Him of Miami
Shortly after Beasley arrived in Minnesota he had to deal with a rather old scenario. Like in Miami, Beasley had to deal with another player expressing his opinions on whether he felt Beasley should start over him. That player was Kevin Love, a guy that has yet to lead a team to anything other than losing.
Love stated that he should start at power forward, and Beasley be moved from his natural position of power forward to the small forward position. In doing so, Beasley would be left to compete with his god-brother Wesley Johnson for minutes. If you’ve ever taken a job from a close relative or friend, you understand how troubling that can be for a person.
So rather than get in a verbal war with the childish Love or suggest that he was better than the rookie Johnson. Beasley instead put his own job and arguably NBA future on the line by saying he’d accept whatever role the Timberwolves envisioned for him.
To understand his humility and commitment to being a team player, you only have to envision what is taking place in Miami with its All-Star trio. Surely if they are worthy of praise, so is a 21-year-old labeled as a guy that doesn’t get it.
Yet still Beasley is being plagued by an inept head coach that either doesn’t understand or care for the gift he’s been presented with.
On a team where Beasley is clearly the most versatile player and biggest talent, he somehow is only averaging 29 minutes per game. Over that duration of time Beasley has managed to average 15 points and seven rebounds per contest. He had 21 points and 10 rebounds versus the Milwaukee Bucks in the team’s lone win this season.
He only played 20 minutes and took six attempts in the Timberwolves last game versus the Memphis Grizzlies, a team he recorded his career-high of 30 against while Wade sat injured.
He's had his moments of being successful at the three position, and he's had his moments of looking out of position. But he's managed to keep a sustained effort for the most part.
"I acknowledge that's a hard thing for a player to play one position," Minnesota head coach Kurt Rambis said, "that has certain responsibilities and duties in our offense and then play another position that has different responsibilities and duties. He has to change gears all the time. For a player to shift like that is very difficult. But that's something I think he'll evolve into as he understands better what we're doing here."
Beasley replied by saying: "You've got to approach the game with a certain mental toughness, I guess. You've got to put your thinking cap on. I can't just go out there and run the 'four' position doing the same things I'm doing at the 'three.' I've got to think a lot sometimes and it slows me down, but I'm still learning."
Once again he's being left to do a head coaches job.
Clearly he’s headed for a similar season as his initial two, and with it will come unwarranted criticism and false recordings of what and who he is. Just like his time in Miami.
Beasley Will Struggle Versus the Heat
If Beasley and anyone else is expecting him to be successful against the Heat, you can forget about it. The Heat have not yielded a single point to a small forward or power forward the past two games. Of course that won’t be the case tonight with Love and Beasley. However, Beasley and his teammates won’t enjoy much success.
Beasley is only averaging 12 shot attempts over his first three games in Minnesota. That’s less than the 13 he attempted last season. The Timberwolves, as a whole, have five players averaging 10 or more attempts per game. Beasley is good for second behind Love and his 13 attempts per game…keep in mind that Love is averaging four fewer minutes per game than Beasley.
With Jonny Flynn out recovering from hip surgery, Beasley and the inept Luke Ridnour are the only threats to penetrate and create opportunities off the dribble. This plays into the hands of LeBron James, Wade and the rest of the Miami Heat. With so many passes abound, the Heat will be able to feast on the Timberwolves, and any success Beasley hopes he will have.
Give Him a Proper Farewell
If the Miami fan base has any class to them, which I doubt they do. They will welcome Beasley back with applause rather than booing him. After all, what kind of person doesn’t support a 21-year-old struggling to find their self in life, an idiot perhaps?
The truth is this and this only, Beasley was the second-leading scorer for teams that won 43 and 47 games. He showed up big in more games than he failed not to. He never became an All-Star in Miami, but he sure as heck wasn’t a failed project.
So rather than showing their ignorance as uneducated fans, here’s to hoping the Miami Heat fans give this young man some much needed encouragement by giving him a proper farewell.
