Rook Check takes a look at the progress of NBA Rookies throughout the season.Heat rookie Michael Beasley was the second overall pick in this year's draft, and with that lofty pick comes some lofty expectations. Beasley was in the starting lineup for the first 15 games of his NBA career, averaging around 14 points and five rebounds per game at the power forward spot.
With the Heat facing the tandem of Shaquille O'Neal and Amare Stoudemire, coach Erik Spoelstra felt a lineup change was in order, and started Joel Anthony at center while moving Udonis Haslem to the power forward spot. This left Beasley to come off the bench for the first time in his career, the expectation being that he would still find a way to contribute. Unfortunately, he did not.
Beasley played just 13 minutes, and was held scoreless, going 0-for-5 from the field. Afterwards, he admitted that coming off the bench was a difficult adjustment, saying he was "lost" and "confused" about what his role was. Beasley's move to the bench appeared to be motivated by the game's matchups, but something Spoelstra said after the game made it seem like there was something Beasley could be doing to earn more minutes.
"I talked to him about [not starting] before shootaround today, and he'll respond," Spoelstra said. "Michael always responds, and, he cares. There's nothing better than a carrot of playing time. Knowing Michael the last few months, I think he's gonna fight for it. And again, our lineup and our rotation is a little bit fluid. It may depend on how we're playing and it may depend on who we're playing."
It appeared that the "who we're playing" scenario was the one that landed Beasley on the bench to start the game against the Suns, but the mention of him having to "fight" for the starting spot or for more playing time was a bit confusing.
We won't have to wait very long to find out if it was truly a matchup situation or something more long-term, as the Heat are back in action against the Clippers tonight. If Beasley does come off the bench for the second straight game, hopefully he'll be more ready to produce in that role than he was against the Suns.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-29-2008 @ 1:01PM
sylvester wilson said...
the heat's coach is ignorant. averaging 14 points per game as a starter in the nba, clearly says one thing: beasley belongs on the floor from the tip off to the final buzzer of the game. experimenting when beasley should play against certain teams is foolish. wade and the heat need this young man on the court at all times, unless he's in foul trouble or it's a timeout. pat riley, where are you?
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11-29-2008 @ 2:22PM
David said...
Spoelstra did the right thing.
A 6-8, 230 lbs Haslem has done a good job at the center position for most of the year. But asking him to guard Shaq was too tall an order (no pun intended).
If you've watched Beasley every game, it's obvious that he's not yet a good enough defender to put him on someone like Amare for an entire game.
His scoring is great, but it's going to take some time in the weight room and time learning 1 on 1 defense (which he says he's never played in his life) to guard the better power forwards.
He's shown signs that he's willing to learn, so I expect him to get better.
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