There are some things about the NBA Draft I'll never understand. Nearly every year, from the end of the college basketball season until the formal selections begin, NBA GM's and scouts forget all the accomplishments of a top talent and zero in on one minor flaw. That player drops a few spots and becomes a star. This happens often. It happened with Brandon Roy. Chris Paul fell a couple spots because he was short. Dwyane Wade carried his average team all the way to the Final Four, but for some reason he wasn't a sure fire star getting the combo guard treatment.
Amare Stoudemire was a high school guy, so the similarity is a considerable stretch, but Michael Beasley is experienced some of the same rumormongering that bit the Suns All-Star. Beasley will never fall down that far, but there's a chance that the Miami Heat will pass on the Kansas State forward with the No. 2 pick. A decision that would turn the organization into a laughing stock for years to come.
Character concerns. He attended five different high schools. He acted like, well a high-schooler, while he was a high-schooler. He wrote his name on the principal's car, which in the end showed he was fearless when it came to winning (it was a bet) as much it did his so-called immaturity. Anways, it seems the Miami Heat are given serious thought to either trading the pick or going to O.J. Mayo instead. Even the teams behind Miami have been rumored to be questioning Beasley character.
It's all very silly. Where are these same concerns with Mayo, a kid who more than likely was paid handsomly in high school and college and also changed high schools?
Miami has the perfect situation heading into Thursday night's draft. The second overall pick with at least two sure fire stars and they have the easy task of taking whoever the Bulls don't select. It's Chicago who has all the pressure of making sure they select the best player, and will likely draw some criticism when they select Derrick Rose 1st overall. Is he a good enough shooter, etc?
All I know is that Beasley dominated on the basketball court in college, far more than any other player in the draft. With each passing day it seems general managers keep forgetting this -- then again, this is probably why they are drafting this high to begin with.
Don't screw this up Pat Riley, or you'll be spending all of your springs scouting top college players.






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