The Sad Story of Michael Beasley

By Christopher Cruz | May 13, 2015

Apr 15, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley (30) looks for an opening past Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington (33) during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

At one point Michael Beasley was going to be the answer to the Miami Heat‘s woes. The Heat chose him second after Derrick Rose after a season where the Heat went 15-67. Yes, injuries were part of that season, including an injury to Dwyane Wade at the peak of his career, but after a championship won in 2006, the Heat had begun to see themselves falling off a bit.

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Beasley would be the answer to their problems.

Of course, things are never simple, and generally drafting doesn’t change franchises the way that fans think that it does. Beasley played well offensively the way he normally does. He is incredibly athletic, boasting a 35-inch vertical leap, and has impressive agility around the basket.

He scored 13.9 points per game while shooting 47 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range. While he wasn’t a good defender, he had the capability to be one with time and effort. Plus, he was 20 years old, so he had time. He played 81 out of 82 games for the season.

His second season was a bit better, averaging 14.8 points per game while the Heat were able to make the playoffs. They lost rather quickly to the Boston Celtics in the first round in five games. Then Beasley was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. There, he played pretty well at first, scoring almost 20 points per game in the initial season.

His production slipped after that in Minnesota and wound up being traded to the Phoenix Suns, who ended up waiving him.

It is interesting to see here that a player who was poised to become the NBA’s biggest thing ended up being traded to two teams and being let go. Some of this had to do with his off-the-court personality. He did some things he probably wish were different. He was arrested for marijuana possession. He was also under investigation for sexual assault.

He was caught driving with a suspended license and a loaded handgun. There were other issues as well. But all of this is much to deal with in a player like Beasley. He never did get that defense executives believed he could. And he is a bit short to play as a big man, and not skilled enough to play small forward.

He finally got a second stint with the Heat, a way for him to gain redemption. But it was short-lived. It never amounted to much, and he was pretty much benched throughout the playoffs as the Heat went to the NBA Finals. He wasn’t re-signed and went to the Memphis Grizzlies where he was quickly let go, and wound up playing in China for a little while.

A lot of players have made the transition to playing overseas where they can play well, receive a lot of attention, and in a country that has over a billion people that means something. While playing for the Shanghai Sharks he averaged 28 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, but failed to reach the playoffs.

Beasley got his third shot with the Miami Heat this past season, in an effort to prove that he can still do it. And to be truthful, he was still able to put the ball in the hole really well. He was a spark off the bench, sometimes scoring double figures in only 12 or 13 minutes. He averaged 8.8 points per game in only 21 minutes.

But the Heat failed to make the playoffs, and as contract negotiations begin, and the team looks to draft, Beasley may not be called back for next season. Beasley proved that he could still score, and he seemed more mature than he had been in the past. It is possible that it is too late though. It’s possible that he showed growth, but just not enough to renew his contract.

To go from the second pick in the draft to a player who is fighting for a spot on a roster is a sad story.

In all likelihood, the Heat probably won’t renew Beasley’s contract. They need to focus on their defense, and with Chris Bosh coming back, it is difficult to really place Beasley in the flow of their offense and defense. As a result, he will be waiting again.

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