Was Beasley the Right Choice?

I am really glad I do not have to write about the supposed "Shawn Marion for Anderson Varejao and Wally Szczerbiak" trade that was reported by Yahoo! Sports yesterday. Numerous sources for both Cleveland and Miami have denied such discussions. With a 20-4 record, the Cavaliers probably do not want to tinker with the roster too much. And that trade would leave Miami as evident losers from the deal. Instead, I want to write about Michael Beasley. Fresh with memories of when O.J. Mayo scorched Miami earlier this week, there are already grumblings that Heat President Pat Riley should have chosen Mayo.

The numbers give the edge to Mayo. Mayo averages 20.8 points per game while Beasley only averages 14.1. The guard out of Southern California has shot 47.2 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from three-point range while the forward out of Kansas shot has shot 44.9 percent and 36 percent, respectively. The 6-foot-4 Mayo averages just nine-tenths of a rebound less than the 6-foot-9 Beasley.
But it is important to go beyond the statistics that everyone looks at. Mayo logged 38 minutes per game through 25 games. Beasley, by comparison, has averaged only 27 minutes per game. Naturally, Mayo would get more opportunities to score if he is on the court more often. Mayo shoots 16.52 shots per game. Beasley shoots 12.78 field goal attempts per game. Dwyane Wade's former workout buddy is not asked to be a second option on his team. In fact, Mayo is not even the point guard for Memphis. He usually plays the two alongside either Kyle Lowry or Mike Conley Jr. in the backcourt. Mayo would be asked to be a floor general on the floor and defer to Wade on the floor.

That is not to say that Mayo's offense is necessarily a bad thing. Miami has averaged 80.7 points per game over its current three-game losing streak, and Mayo's offense would evidently provide a high-octane offensive threat next to Wade. And we have not seen Mayo play next to Wade for one game, so it is premature to say that Mayo would be a bad fit with Wade. But Mayo is expected to do more for his team than Beasley, so the statistical disparity is to be expected.

Many people will tell you that it is too early in the season to make final verdicts on draft choices. It will take a season, if not several, to figure that out. But 24 games into the season for Miami, I feel that Pat Riley made the right decision when he selected Beasley as the second overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

There is no player who was better offensively than Beasley was in the NCAA last year. He put up dominant numbers of 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. He shot 53.2 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from beyond the arc. Now, I realize that stardom in college does not necessarily translate into stardom in the pros. But the tiny, 2.3 field goal percentage disparity simply exists because Beasley does not get enough minutes.

I have advocated as recently as my latest post that Coach Erik Spoelstra should give Beasley more playing time. Because he and Wade are the only two players that can create their own shot for Miami, Spoelstra should always have Beasley and Wade on the court at all times when possible. I also would not mind seeing the product out of Kansas State and Miami's franchise player playing together. It would prevent other teams from clogging the driving lanes so Wade is forced into jump shots. It would give the opposition another threat to worry about. I am sure Mayo would be able to provide the same if he played for Miami. But because of his play in college and the two shooting roughly the same percentage from the field right now, I would still have made the same decision if I were Riley.

If Beasley does receive more playing time, he will develop. Spoelstra should know that no rookie develops from the bench. Dorell Wright taught him that.