LONDON (AP) -Michael Beasley doesn’t want to start talking about another dynamic duo in Miami just yet.
The rookie scored 21 points in the Heat’s overtime loss to the New Jersey Nets in Paris on Thursday, but said Saturday he isn’t trying to assume Shaquille O’Neal’s place as Dwyane Wade’s superstar sidekick.
“I’m not trying to do too much,” Beasley said ahead of Sunday’s rematch against the Nets in London, part of the NBA’s preseason European tour. “We’ve got a lot of players on this team that can step up and score 20-25 points any given night. I’m just trying to fit in.”
So far, he’s fitting into rookie coach Erik Spoelstra’s offensive system quite nicely. Defensively, however, he’s still a work in progress.
lenged him to do, to make more of an impact on that end of the floor.”
The Heat are coming off an awful season, when they traded O’Neal to the Phoenix Suns and posted a league-worst 15-67 record. They took Beasley with the second overall pick in the June draft.
Miami went 0-7 in the preseason last year, and is now 0-2, including an overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons last Sunday.
Still, Spoelstra doesn’t seem too concerned with the Heat’s preseason record.
“It’s important for us to play well, and play productively and improve,” he said. “This has nothing to do with last year. Last year, we were getting blown out of games in the preseason. But certainly we want to play well and try to get some wins.”
The Nets also are concerned with more than just results, with Vince Carter trying to gel with a supporting cast that includes newcomers Eduardo Najera, Jarvis Hayes and Chinese big man Yi Jianlian.
Yi didn’t play in Thursday’s 100-98 win, but looked sharp in Saturday’s practice.
“He’s getting comfortable in each and every practice,” Carter said. “For him, it’s just a feeling-out process. We want to welcome him with open arms, and he’s starting to open up and show his personality.”
Yi, who was acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks in a trade for Richard Jefferson, said the transition to the Nets is going smoothly.
lay hard,” he said. “It’s different players, different teammates, but we’re all in the same league, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
With both teams trying to bounce back from disappointing seasons, they are looking to the Boston Celtics for inspiration. The Celtics went from a losing season to NBA champions – after coming to London and beating the Minnesota Timberwolves in a preseason game.
“Hopefully we’ll get some of that good luck that follows as well,” Wade said. “I know Boston had good luck out here. I’d love to take a little of that luck back.”
And Beasley sees no reason why the Heat can’t contend for another title – even if that means having to become a go-to guy in his first season.
“If that’s what it takes,” he said. “But we just want to play as a team. I don’t want to be a star, and I don’t want to be looked upon as being the best on the team. It takes a team to win, and Dwyane feels the same way. … I want to win a championship, just like everybody else. I think we have the right tools. We just have to tighten the screws up.”
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