Miami Heat Season in Review: Michael Beasley and a Third Chance

Michael Beasley is like the bad habit Pat Riley cannot kick. Despite a rocky first tenure that eventually led the Heat executive to trade Beasley for scraps, Riley gave Beasley a second chance last season. When Beas did not show the improvement on defense and concentration the Heat wanted to see, Beasley was left off the roster and eventually had to latch on to a contract in China.

Once the Chinese basketball season ended and Beasley was free to sign with an NBA team, Riley and the Heat let Beas work on at American Airlines Arena. They then eventually signed him to a pair of 10-day contracts, and then a contract for the rest of the 2014-2015 season.

What Went Right

Michael Beasley looked like a smarter, more confident player in his third stint with the Heat. Knowing the Heat system already helped him a ton, as he played a lot of strong minutes at center and power forward, being the best Heat defensive player on the court at times.

Beasley looked like a player that realized that his third stint in the NBA could be his last chance, or he’d be stuck playing out the rest of his career in China, trying to become a star where other NBA rejects had done so before.

What Went Wrong

Despite his stronger effort, Beasley’s offensive game wasn’t what the Heat had hoped for. When the Heat signed Beasley with the news of Bosh being out for the season, they had hoped for some instant offense that Beas had been known for most of his career, including the season before when he averaged 19 points per 36 minutes on 50% shooting. Beasley’s PER came in as an above average 16.8

In 2014/2015, Beasley averaged just 8.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game on 43% shooting. He was well below an average player, with a PER of just 10.6.

Beasley had been a 34% 3-point shooter in his career coming into the season, but shot just 23% on the season, this despite a lot of his shot being good looks.

Best Game

Beasley’s best game of the season, by far, came in the final game of the season and his lone start of the season. With the Heat already eliminated from playoff contention, the team made the decision to rest all their regular players, trying to tank for the top 10 pick.

Beasley and the Heat roster did not get the memo that the Heat did not necessarily want to win the game, as they played their asses off.

Playing all 48-minutes of the game, Beasley scored a career high 34 points, picked up 11 rebounds, and collected 9 assists. Beasley was 12-of-27 from the field and 10-of-11 from the free throw line, showing the entire NBA why he was once regarded as an offensive force coming out of college.

Where He Can Improve

Beasley needs to continue working on his defense. It was his strength at times this season, but it also kept him out of the rotation at other times. He has the athleticism and the size to be able to be a better defender than he has shown in career, it’s mostly about him focusing on his job at this point.

Another aspect Beas can improve on would be taking less long two pointers. He either needs to get closer to the basket or step behind the 3-point line and take a better percentage shot.

Looking Ahead

Michael Beasley, despite his bust status, has still remained one of my favorite players. Unfortunately, I think his third stint with the Miami Heat will be his final one with the team, despite a guaranteed contract for 2015/2016.

With the Heat roster for the most part already set, it’s going to be hard to find a roster spot for Beasley with the addition of the first round pick and then potentially a free agent or two.

If Beasley is back with the Heat for next season, it would likely mean that someone with a larger contract would have been moved off the team. In my opinion, that would mean either Josh McRoberts or Mario Chalmers would need to get the boot for a spot for Beasley to be open.

But who knows? No want expected that Michael Beasley would return to the Heat after his stint in China, right?