I Am Sold On Michael Beasley

[TheFranchise21]

After being a one of the biggest Beasley doubters, and sometimes hater, for the entire season, I am convinced he is the best player in this draft that fits our team. I came upon this belief just this week. I don't see any other player who fits our team better, or is a better prospect. I put a lot of time into this and I think it’s worth it to read the whole thing in order to fully understand my faith in Beasley.

Here is why:

Size
- Beasley is 6'8.25" in shoes.
- He's a chiseled 239lbs.
- His body is NBA ready.
- His wingspan is excellent at 7'0.25", it is a +5 wingspan (without shoes).
- Standing reach is good too at 8'11.
- He is also ambidextrous, meaning he is equally good with both hands.

Athleticism
- Good leaper, 35" vertical.
- Very quick for a player his size.
- Good upper body strength, repped 185lbs. 19 times, third most at pre-draft camp.

Skills
- Legit range out to at least the college 3 pointer, most likely even further.
- Excellent mid-range game for a player his age. With most players his age, they have the inside skills and/or the outside skills with no mid-range game (see: James, LeBron). Rarely do they have everything put together.
- Developing post skills. He's not great here, but can definitely hold his own. Has the bulk to body his man down low. Needs some work here but what 19 year old doesn't?
- A beast on the boards. Led the nation in rebounding as a freshman. I used to think this was one of his most overrated stats. But I give him credit now. As proven over time, rebounding is not always about who is the biggest or tallest. It’s about positioning and desire. That's why guys like Ben Wallace and Dennis Rodman led the league in rebounding. Wallace is 6'7 (even though the media guide may say something different) and Rodman was only 6'8 at best.
- Very, very good dribbler for his size.

Fit
- Our team badly needs a second legitimate scorer behind Big Al. There were so many nights where Big Al would drop 25 and 15 and nobody would score over 15.
- Or other nights where Big Al was having a bad shooting night or the other team was playing him real well, he would only manage 16 points and nobody would step up. We need someone to take the scoring load off of him.
- Nobody on our team is good enough to be better than a third option on a contending team. Foye is probably best suited to be a third option. I think he would be more efficient in that role. The expectation placed on him to be the second leading scorer might be taking a toll on him. If there isn't so much pressure on him to score and pass at the same time, he'd probably play more relaxed and more efficiently.
- Beasley's jumper will keep defenses honest. Al is getting better at recognizing double teams and passing out of them. Beasley is near the level of Kevin Love as a spot up shooter. He can play inside or outside.
- Beasley at the 3 will allow us to move Brewer to the 2.
- We all know Corey Brewer makes Nicole Richie look fat. Brewer's body type is probably not suited to hold a lot more weight. He doesn't have broad shoulders or big hips to put on a significant amount of weight. If he plays the 3, he'll get tossed around. That's why he is a better fit at the 2. He's quick enough and has the footwork to stay with the best SGs out there.
- His rebounding will help out Al. Beasley is an underrated offensive rebounder and you can never have enough of those types of rebounds.

Issues
Attitude:
- This was also one of my huge negatives about him.
- There is not a doubt in my mind that he is immature. But let's not forget that he is 19 years old. Look at any other 19 year old in this country and the majority of them are going to be immature. It comes with being a kid. Some are slower than others to mature, and he is one of them.
- But the main thing about his immaturity is the type. He is a class-clown type of kid, just trying to be funny and to make everyone laugh. There are numerous articles about him being a notorious prankster.
- The incident where he got kicked out of Oak Hill stemmed from a bet he had with another teammate. They bet each other to see who could tag/write their name on the most places on campus. Beasley took it a little too far when he tagged the principal's car.
- This type of immaturity does not worry me. There are plenty of kids I know who are just like him. They don't do anything that hurts anyone, or break any serious laws; they just make jokes and do pranks.
- Unfortunately, Beasley took it too far once or twice.
- I've always been a big believer that a player can do whatever he wants off the field and we, the fans, shouldn't care, unless it affects his play in games. Being a prankster does not affect his play.
- The type of off court issues that worry me are the Pacman Jones type issues:
- Staying out too late: you never hear about Beasley breaking team curfews.
- Hanging with the wrong crowd: he is best buds with Kevin Durant. By all accounts, Durant is a model citizen and has no off court issues. In fact people have raved at his work ethic and desire to win. That's a pretty good person to be around if you ask me.
- You also never hear about Beasley's friends. For example, you don't hear about his friends getting pulled over in his car for possession or use of drugs or any other illegal activities.
- Getting into fights: correct me if I am wrong but Beasley hasn't gotten into any reported fights.
- Drinking/partying/clubbing: I'm not saying he doesn't do this because I'm pretty sure he has, as
would 99.9% of other college freshman, but he has never taken it too far here.

Position:
- One of the biggest question marks about him is if he can play the small forward spot.
- Many have said that if he can play the 3, he is going to be special. If he can only play the 4, then he's just above average.
- I fully believe he can play the 3 spot. Watching Paul Pierce in the Finals convinced me.
- Pierce is a pudgy 6'7 guy. He has nowhere near the athleticism Beasley has. You would expect a guy who doesn't look physically impressive like Pierce to be ineffective on defense... wrong.
- A huge part of playing good defense is footwork and commitment. Pierce has excellent footwork. This allows him to compensate for his average athleticism and pudgy frame.
- This season, Pierce finally committed himself to defense, Ainge and Rivers are on the record for saying this. Pierce's bigger frame gave Kobe fits in the Finals. Some credit has to go to Pierce for keeping Kobe in check most of the series.
- That said, if Beasley can learn the footwork and commit himself to becoming a better defender, he has all the tools to become a good defender.
- All in all, I see no reason why he can't make the switch to small forward.

Coachability:
- I've read a lot of reports that he isn't very coachable. I've also read quotes from Frank Martin, his coach at K-State, that he's been very coachable.

Competitiveness/Desire:
- A lot of people question if he has the desire to get better. I think he definitely has the desire to get better. He's gotten to where he is now because he works hard. You don't just wake up one day, weigh 239lbs., stand 6'8 and can do amazing things with a basketball. He has immense talent but he also has the desire to use that talent correctly.

Random Thoughts
- I want this post to help people who don't like Beasley to feel more open and accepting of him.
- While there is a slim possibility he falls to us, I just feel it would be an incredible stroke of luck for us to land him in a two-player draft, especially since we're picking #3.
- I personally believe this is a two-player draft, like many other experts, scouts, and league execs have said. Beasley and Rose are the only two franchise players in this draft. Of course other players can get better and become franchise guys, but at this point, Beasley and Rose are the only two.
- For us to have two franchise players on our roster would be huge.

I wanted to keep this post only about Beasley. I could've easily said many contradicting things about Rose, Mayo, or Love, but I chose not to. I focused on why I think Beasley is the best fit and prospect for our team without having to mention other players as much as I could. I would like to keep this topic only Beasley related. If you have an issue with Beasley that I did not address, or just simply don't agree with me please post it.

P.S. horaceworthy, I am eating my words right now.

[the_bruce]

I agree with 99% of this post. I have no problem with his attitude or his pranks. I think his personality would fit in Great with big al and cookie who are both joksters. I'm 100% certain he can play the 3 effectively too. Plus his ability to play the 4 gives us some flexibile lineups.

al\beasly\brewer\mccants\foye
or
xxx\al\beasly\brewer\Foye

I like Beasly, mayo, Rose, and love in this draft. But beasly by far is the player I think the wolves need the most. We don't need anymore guards. Mayo and Rose are both potential upgrades vs our current guards, but this team needs more than just guard upgrades right now.

I'm apparently one of the few posters who would toss back the future MIA pick without hesitation. I'd give up more to move up 1 spot too. It's not that I dislike Mayo either, but in the event the wolves get yet another guard we'd need to trade the old guard at a discount. What's mccants worth right now? Maybe a pick late teens or early 20s? That kid can flat out score if he can manage to be an average defender, avoid the fouls, and get more court time he will easily put up 20+ppg. To thin out the backcourt we'd have to trade someone and they certainly wont be full value.

That MIA pick is worth roughly the same value as trading away one of our stockpile of combo guards. i.e. A pick 15+. So why not spend the MIA pick on getting the better fit for the team, it's a no brainer.

I'd even readjust the LAC pick protection to top 3 in the event there was a 3 way with MIA-LAC-MN if that's what it took to get a deal done. We were a .400 ball club last year after Foye came back and I think our pick will be paid out next year anyway. In the event we get lucky we and hit the lotto we still get our pick. If we land a pick from 4-10 we pay it out, but who cares?!? We'd have most of our lineup filled in anyway....

We'd have our 4/5 in Al
Our 3/4 in Beasly
Our 2/3 in Brewer
Our 1 in foye (judging by his last month I'd say we can commit to him as our pg long term)
We have unmovable Jaric who provides depth ath 1/2/3
Our 2 in McCants

The only thing we'd really be missing is a true 5, but beasly should be able to guard perimeter based 4's and Al is at least a competant defender in the low post against most 5's. Foye can guard all the PGs. Brewer can guard anyone under 210 ?

I don't see as large a gap between the prospects as most people do. Beasly and Rose are obviously the top 2, but I like Love, mayo as close to the top 2, and even bayless, Randolph a lot too.

[Dan's with the Wolves]

If he is there at the third pick, let the great experiment begin.

The position thing is overrated. Its all about matchups. His offense should be enough to force other teams to match up with him. Beasley should be fully capable of guarding any player who has to matchup with him while on defense. Then it will be up to Wittman to determine who to have on the court with Beasley and Jefferson. A third big or three smalls.

[funkatron101]

I'm pretty indifferent when it comes to Rose and Mayo, but I am a fan of Beasley. I think he would be a great fit. That was a good breakdown of his skills, weaknesses, and character.

I still think we should call Miami's bluff however. Either they want Mayo, or it's a smokescreen. Let them make the leap for him. Either way, I think we are in a good position.

[revprodeji]

He is the biggest boom-bust in this draft. I do not see middle ground with Beasley. He will either be a stud SF or a self-serving 4. Horrible personality, but a d*ck in the lockeroom. Black hold on offense and disinterested in defense.

It is a risk. He is a gamble. He could be amazing, but could also be a cancer on and off the court.

[Jonathan Watters]

Michael Beasley is not a bust or boom pick. He is going to average 20/10 his rookie year, and I'd be surprised if he hasn't made an all-star team by year 3. He's just one of those players that you have to throw the mold out the window for.

Is his attitude a problem? I really don't think it is huge. This guy's skillset is truly unique. If 1 in 1,000 makes the NBA, 1 in 1,000 NBA players will have Beasley's unique abilities. And you don't get this uniquely good by screwing around and not working on your game. Think Charles Barkely. He didn't fit a positional mold - 6'6, 250 pounders normally are playing in Europe or on a football field. But Barkely was special. And Beasley is special.

I would make the Barkely comparison in attitude also. Beasley is a little salty. He's his own person, and doesn't care what anybody else thinks about him. But he is ridiculously funny, and none of that childishness made it onto the court at K-State.

Could it flare back up in the NBA? Maybe.

Are his "attitude" significantly more of a concern than the average prospect's? Personally, I don't think so.

[revprodeji]

I think he needs to make the change to a "power" based SF. He needs to work on passing, defense and buying into a team concept. He has the tools to do it, but I am concerned. Does he have the desire to do it? Does he work ethic? Or is he cool with being B-easy?

Kid is drenched with talent.

[collin_k41]

he reminds me of lebron...kind of. Both have the bodies of PF's but both play/will play SF. Lebron is faster/more athletic/better passer/better team player. Beasley is the better rebounder and all-around offensive player in my book.

Rev said he needs to work on passing/defense/team concept and I agree 100%. I just think if he can get these things together he can easily be a top 5 player in this league. To me it's worth the chance.

[NO-KG-AI]

I really think the attitude problems are way overrated, he's going to be special at the 3 IMO.

[shrink]

Someone please forward TheFranchise21's post to the Timberwolves front office for their consideration.

[Hoops23]

another additional topic about Beasley
Former coaches gives Beasley good references

If the Bulls draft Derrick Rose as many expect, should the Heat, picking No. 2, be concerned about off-court issues with Michael Beasley? Absolutely not, his two most recent coaches say.

''Ask everybody Mike has played for, and there's not one question about his work ethic, leadership or character,'' Kansas State coach Frank Martin said. ``He's the best teammate I've been around in 23 years in basketball. People have pulled me aside in Wal-Mart telling me what a wonderful kid he is, how he helps them get groceries.''
Bill Barton, who coached Beasley at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., said by phone, ``Michael is probably one of the most coachable kids I ever had, and tied for first as the most likable. I spent a year with him, and I didn't have a single problem with him. He came to practice and school every day. He graduated. He's polite, always in a good mood.

``He had age-appropriate behavior -- maybe he forgot his homework or talked in class. He's a fun-loving kid but did nothing to be considered a punishable offense. He's the farthest thing from a character problem.''

Martin said Beasley switched high schools often (five in four years) because his family believed ''he should go somewhere else'' and that he was never dismissed. He was a prankster in high school -- including drawing graffiti -- but has matured. And he has never been arrested, Martin said. Bruce Shingler, a K-State assistant, is putting his career on hold to live with Beasley next season.

Beasley, expected to go second if Rose goes first, has strong support inside the Heat's front office, but the question is whether Pat Riley will feel comfortable with his maturity level, or whether anybody will make an extraordinary offer for the pick. Beasley's visit went well -- his workout was impressive, and on Thursday he joined Riley and 12 other Heat employees at Prime 112, where he sat beside Erik Spoelstra and munched on a Kobe beef burger and fries.

I agree to alot of poster in here that if he falls at #3, he will be a good pick up for you guys to pair with Jefferson.

Someone please forward TheFranchise21's post to the Timberwolves front office for their consideration.

Okei sir!

[Hoops23]

Another topic about McHale on Michael Beasley
VP can dream

"Nothing is more overrated, in my opinion, than your height," Timberwolves Vice President Kevin McHale said, with others expressing concern that Beasley measured in 2 inches shorter than his previously listed 6 feet 10.

As for the quality of trade proposals, McHale told the St. Paul Pioneer Press, "I would tell you there's not an offer I'd do today."

He said he might reconsider closer to the draft, hinting even he is uncertain of the Heat's course.

"I'd like to see what happens in front of us, too," he said. "Who knows? A lot of strange things happen in this draft."

McHale lent credibility to the notion that a team such as the Heat could find value in trading down.

"Supposedly, there's the big two and then there's a bunch of guys after that," he said. "I like a lot of those guys a lot."

Or McHale could especially like Beasley.

[D1SGRUNTL3D]

Mchale toys with the media often. One of his only good things is to shrug off questions from reporters that try to get to the middle of something.


To be honest, nobody here knows what the FO actually thinks of Beasley. I personally would love to see the experiment.

I personally would love to see the Mayo experiment

[667Club]

he reminds me of lebron...kind of. Both have the bodies of PF's but both play/will play SF. Lebron is faster/more athletic/better passer/better team player. Beasley is the better rebounder and all-around offensive player in my book.

Rev said he needs to work on passing/defense/team concept and I agree 100%. I just think if he can get these things together he can easily be a top 5 player in this league. To me it's worth the chance.

not really .. Beasly has narrow shoulders. Derrick Rose on the other end looks like a small lebron (or artest). He is what lebron would be if he was a PG.

[TheFranchise21]

He is the biggest boom-bust in this draft. I do not see middle ground with Beasley. He will either be a stud SF or a self-serving 4. Horrible personality, but a d*ck in the lockeroom. Black hold on offense and disinterested in defense.

It is a risk. He is a gamble. He could be amazing, but could also be a cancer on and off the court.

I don't agree with the boom or bust outlook on Beasley.

Can you explain what exactly makes you think he can be a bust?

There aren't any major red flags about him. I don't think you can dominate college basketball the way he did and then fall flat on his face in the league. I know any draft pick has the potential to be a bust, but Beasley is already a pretty developed player. We're not talking about a high schooler (Ndudi Ebi/Jonathan Bender) or college player who played sparingly (William Avery). Beasley played a lot of minutes at K-State and dominated.

The character issues/concerns are minor to me. We're not talking about Allen Iverson here. We're talking about a guy who joked around with reporters and players, and tagged a car. I actually find him pretty funny. I primarily like athletes because they are good at what they do, but when they have a good personality, it makes me like the player more. Beasley has a good personality. He's one of a kind. We can't expect all prospects to be these stoic people off the court who are squeaky clean.

Dick in the lockeroom? I need an example. Hoops23 just posted Martin saying he's the best teammate he's been around and his high school coach said he's very coachable. I think its quite a stretch to think he could become a cancer on or off the court. Any player in this draft has as much of a chance of becoming that as Beasley.

There is a certainly a middle ground with Beasley. I think at worst, he's going to give you 20 and 10 and be a solid player, along the mold of Antawn Jamison. A good, not great player.

[revprodeji]

His numbers dominated college basketball. Not him. His team was not even a higher seed.

The "bust" is if Beasley is unwilling to focus on defense, unwilling to make his mark as a sf. If he is a black hole on offense. He has great tools to develop, but if he is unwilling to mature and work them then he will bust.

You get moved to that many high schools and the issues are not minor.

[horaceworthy]

Well, it was him putting up those dominant numbers. That team wasn't even a tournament team last year, then lost it's top few players and had it's other top player recovering from a major knee injury during the year. As a freshman he led it to the 2nd round and it's first victory over KU in 24 years.

He plays much better within a team concept than you give him credit for. He has a very good feel for the game and makes good decisions for someone his age. He wasn't given much around him at KSU aside from Walker, and Walker was incredibly inconsistent. He had a tencency to try and put it all on his shoulders when it looked like the game could get out of hand, which didn't always work out well, but that sense of The Moment is a good thing. He's also shown a willingness to work on his game. He's gone from a couple years ago being a player banks said was "nothing special" to having one of the more impressive freshman seasons ever in the college ranks, and being a near consensus top 2 pick in the draft.

I think the school issue gets overblown. Durant attended 5 different high schools, Mayo played for 3 different high schools in 3 different states, the nomadic high school journey isn't all that uncommon for top prep prospects.

[gjn19]

i wonder what took you so long tf21...

...all the things you mentioned were known for some months now.

beasely would be my very clear cut #1 pick this year. every team that passes on him will regret it big time. guy is a player, and he didn't even touch 50% of his potential.

that said, if he's gone, i'm happy with mayo too.

[Jonathan Watters]

His numbers dominated college basketball. Not him. His team was not even a higher seed.

The "bust" is if Beasley is unwilling to focus on defense, unwilling to make his mark as a sf. If he is a black hole on offense. He has great tools to develop, but if he is unwilling to mature and work them then he will bust.

You get moved to that many high schools and the issues are not minor.

I don't think there is anything you say here that can't be applied to Mayo. The guy is just as well-travelled, in terms of multiple school changes and the people he associates with. There were rumors all season that he feuded with his teammates, including busting Daniel Hackett's jaw in the preseason. And K-State absolutely destroyed USC in the tourney. Furthermore, the reports about Beasley's character from those who played with him are much more glowing than those from Mayo at USC.

Fact of the matter is that Beasley's ability is absolutely unquestionable. And given how this isn't the case for almost every other pick in the draft, there is no way you can realistically call him a bust/boom pick in this draft. Even if he does have a bad attitude, a concern that you are completely overblowing, his talent alone with make him one of the better players in this draft, a 20/10 guy his first 5 years in the league.

He's by far, and I mean by far, the biggest lock in this draft. Not the biggest risk.

[TheFranchise21]

His numbers dominated college basketball. Not him. His team was not even a higher seed.

This doesn't make sense to me. How do your statistics dominate but you don't dominate? Its not an either or thing. Its a cause and effect thing. He dominated college basketball and his numbers are a result of it.

One thing I haven't mentioned is he's pretty good at getting to the free throw line, 8.5 FTA per game.

The "bust" is if Beasley is unwilling to focus on defense, unwilling to make his mark as a sf. If he is a black hole on offense. He has great tools to develop, but if he is unwilling to mature and work them then he will bust.

You get moved to that many high schools and the issues are not minor.

Unwilling to focus on defense? I see this as having the highest possibility of happening but I don't fear its going to happen. Kid has the drive to be great. He's not lazy ala Rashad McCants. The kid has worked to improve his game every year, why wouldn't he focus on defense sometime?

He models his game after Carmelo's game, why wouldn't he try to be a SF?

Again with the maturity thing, how is this even issue? His immaturity is always being a jokester and perhaps not being serious when he should be. How is this something we should be worried about? He's an intense player in games and like he said, he knows when to turn off his playful side. I don't see any cause for concern about his maturity.

On the other hand, if he was immature in the sense that he stays out late, gets into fights, mistreats women, etc. then there is cause for concern. But Beasley has done none of those things as far as we know , and we have no reason to believe he has either.