The Unfortunate Case of Michael Beasley

In 2008, Michael Beasley was the top player in college basketball from Kansas State and considered by almost all professional scouts to be the top pick in the NBA draft, ahead of the point guard phenomenon Derrick Rose from the Memphis Tigers.  

However, when the Chicago Bulls won the lottery ahead of the Miami Heat, who were coming off a 15-67 regular season record, the Bulls elected to go with Rose at number one and the Heat made the only move they could, drafting Beasley at two.  pairing him with Dwyane Wade, however, seemed like it would benefit both players as Wade had transitioned out of the Shaquille O'neal Heat era and Beasley possessed the skill set to make things difficult on opposing defenses. 

Nothing really ever goes according to plain - and it may have something to do with his limited exposure to disciplined coaching, but as a player, you never want to make that excuse. If you were just to take a glance at his career numbers, you'd say hes a good player but nothing special. 14.5 points, 5 rebounds, 45% FG and 35% 3FG. For a second overall pick, those numbers look pedestrian at best. 

The most telling stat, however, is that now in his fifth season as a pro, he is playing with his third NBA team and the Phoenix Suns signed him because they are rebuilding and had to fill roster spots with affordable contracts. What could have become of Beasley is what makes his small body of work so frustrating. We saw glimpses of his game in Minnesota two years ago where he posted averages of 19 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists in 32 minutes a night.

This kid was supposed to be the next big thing. The next versatile forward to change the game at the professional level. But so far, he's nothing but another guy in the league who is known more for his different corn row schemes than his jumper.