Bill Streicher- USA Today Sports
The Miami Heat decided to not pick up the option on Michael Beasley’s contract for next season, leaving the No. 2 overall pick from the 2008 NBA Draft without a franchise to play for once again. This past season was Beasley’s third stint with the Heat, and after starting strong midway through the season, the assurance of a guaranteed contract severely diminished his output the remainder of the year. Even with a potential playoff spot in grasp, Erik Spoelstra still opted to give crucial minutes to his rookies over Beasley, based solely on consistency.
Consistency has been Beasley’s biggest weakness since entering the NBA, and it is the primary reason why the Heat decided not to give Beasley another shot. When Chris Bosh went down with his season-ending injury, the Heat needed another consistent stretch forward. Defense wasn’t as much of a concern as scoring output was, which is why the Heat reached out to Beasley in China.
Beasley only managed a measly 8.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists through 24 games last season with the Heat, but what was even more alarming was the significant drop in shooting efficiency both from the field (42%) and from beyond the arc (22%). Both of these shooting statistics were near career lows for Beasley, further proving that improvement in consistency might be unattainable.
The Heat could be in a major rebuild mode based on the contract decisions of several key players, but even still, a fourth return for Beasley to the Heat should not be an option. At this point in his career, Beasley is a glorified third string forward at best. The Heat will be better off without Beasley on the roster.
Jared Doyle is a Miami Heat writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @outofboundsjay, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
