MIAMI (AP) -There are moments when Michael Beasley’s youth is impossible for the Miami Heat to ignore.
For starters, he’s fascinated with SpongeBob SquarePants. He scribbled “Beas Was Here 09” on the table in Miami’s interview room after meetings Thursday. He even once wrapped a giant snake around his neck and chased Dwyane Wade, not caring that the NBA scoring champion suffers from herpetophobia, a morbid fear of reptiles.
“He’s 12,” Wade said. “That’s what 12-year-olds do.”
Although his actions don’t always make it seem so, Beasley really is 20.
And there are moments – lately, lots of them – when the Heat remember why they drafted Beasley with last year’s No. 2 pick.
Beasley averaged 24.2 points and 11.2 rebounds in the final five regular-season games, his best stretch yet as a pro and one that might have proved the rookie forward is ready for his first taste of postseason basketball.
Miami visits Atlanta on Sunday in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
s,” Beasley said. “I just want to play. I keep hearing the stories about how intense the playoffs are. It’s the biggest stage. I’m ready to go.”
Inserted into Miami’s starting lineup after Udonis Haslem injured his right thumb, Beasley took advantage of his opportunity.
Over a nine-day stretch, he scored 25 points against New Orleans, 23 at Boston, a career-best 28 points (with 16 rebounds) against New York, 23 points at Atlanta and then had 22 in just 19 minutes of Wednesday’s finale against Detroit.
“Michael’s probably the most confident guy in that room right now,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I don’t know if it’s naivety right now for what’s coming. He still has a ways to go with things, but in a lot of ways, things are slowing down for him and I think that’s where his confidence is coming from. He’s not as confused. He’s not as stressed out. He’s not as bewildered defensively.”
In other words, he’s finding a groove.
Only nine months ago, shortly after Miami took him on draft night, Beasley made his NBA summer league debut without knowing anything about defense at the pro level. Offense came easily, since that’s all he’d ever known. But to get into the rotation – especially in Miami, where defense is the top priority – he needed to learn how to defend.
“I needed to learn a lot,” Beasley acknowledged.
on, the rest of the NBA started taking notice in what Miami had in Beasley.
“That’s part of learning the game, getting familiar with the league,” Pistons coach Michael Curry said. “You knew right away this kid was going to be a scorer in this league and a rebounder. He was going to do those two things and he does them at a high level. I think defensively, in understanding the NBA game, he’s gotten much better.”
As Beasley started figuring out the defense, Spoelstra’s confidence in him grew. With that came more playing time, and with that came even more respect from teammates in the locker room.
“He could be a scoring champion,” Wade said. “That’s the kind of ability he has. … And he’s open to leadership. Mike came in with an open mind and open heart and listened to what people before him have to say.”
It’s not a coincidence that the Heat arranged for Beasley’s locker to be next to Udonis Haslem’s. One of Haslem’s many part-time jobs with Miami this season was serving as a mentor of sorts to the rookie, who immediately found reason to listen to the starting power forward – Haslem’s coach at Miami High, Frank Martin, was Beasley’s coach last season at Kansas State.
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Beasley doesn’t mind saying that his confidence is soaring. Of course, it’s been a long time since he’s been in a game without thinking he was the best player on the court, either.
“I was like 4,” Beasley said.
All jokes aside, here comes Beasley’s first chance at the NBA’s second season, where one team will emerge with a championship ring. The giant bauble the Heat won in 2006 – the one that Miami president Pat Riley wore the night he met Beasley – caught the rookie’s eye as soon as he shook his new boss’ hand, saying “it looked like a wallet on his finger.”
And if Atlanta’s arena is filled Sunday night, even better. Beasley is more than eager to see what playoff basketball is really like.
“It’s basketball, man. It’s what we do,” Beasley said. “We play to be the best. I love big shots. I love pressure. I mean, this is what I do. It’s fun.”
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