At one point during the game, I happened to glance down at the ESPN bottomline. I read that Kansas State forward Michael Beasley had scored 44 points in an 86-92 loss to Baylor. Those 44 points were the most scored in a Big 12 game in history. Beasley also had 13 rebounds in the game, and registered his 23rd double-double to break Carmelo Anthony's previous NCAA freshman record.
With Miami on an 11-game losing streak and the trade deadline having passed, there is nothing to look forward to other than the Draft Lottery. The worst team, a title the Heat currently own, only has a 25% chance of winning the first pick. Pat Riley can only hope his team will come up victorious this season -- something he hasn't been able to say in a while. What I do know is that if the Heat obtain this first pick, they should draft Michael Beasley.
Able to shoot from the perimeter or explode from the post, Beasley is NBA-ready to bang and score with his 235-pound body. He is a prolific scorer despite being doubled or tripled virtually every time he gets the ball. He has the ability to catch-and-shoot, especially on the baseline. He will be able to run pick-and-pops to the t on Day 1. Beasley could revolutionize the game as a new age power forward. He rebounds, scores from the post, and blocks shots with the skills and shot of a small forward.
There is a notion that "Beastly" will not be a legitimate power forward at the next level. Of course, Beasley may not match up well with Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire, Rasheed Wallace, or the other strong power forwards of the League. With above average athleticism and long arms, Beasley is just 15 pounds of muscle away from guarding the players mentioned above. He is a very versatile player, able to post players up down low or drag players out to the perimeter and take them off the dribble.
The Heat still need a big man, and they will probably have to get that answer from free agency with Emeka Okafor, Elton Brand and Jermaine O'Neal options. In the Draft, there are simply a lack of quality big men. DeAndre Jordan has a long way to go until he becomes an effective pro basketball player. Hasheem Thabeet may be a defensive stalwart, but is severely limited offensively. And after an encouraging junior season, Roy Hibbert hasn't performed as many expected him to as a senior.
The fact of the matter is that the player averaging a double-double isn't the 7'3" Thabeet or the 7'2" Hibbert or the 7'0" Jordan, it's the 6'9" Beasley. Beasley is simply relentless while going for the rebound and has the strength to win any tie-ups he is faced with.
As I've watched the Heat with Shawn Marion in the lineup, the Heat need a player with (1) Swagger - an alpha dog with extreme confidence, (2) physical toughness - the Heat can't have another player who is afraid to get his hands dirty, (3) a closing mentality - this year has shown that the Heat need a player other than Wade who can close out a game and convert with the shot clock running down, (4) a perimeter and interior defense - Miami needs a player who has a willingness to create stops without being a liability on the other end, (5) post skills - not a great post player, but a player who can take advantage of mis-matches, and (6) superstar capability - Miami needs a player who can fill up the empty seats at the Triple A. A player with a certain something that ticket buyers will gravitate towards.
Ok, that was a little lengthy, but what do you expect when your team still hasn't posted double-digit wins after the All-Star break? Beasley possesses all of the things that Miami needs, and more. With a Big Three of Wade, Marion, and Beasley, the possibilities are endless.
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