Last night, after the Chicago Bulls won the NBA Draft Lottery, I texted Fatima Smith, Michael Beasley’s mother, and said, “Congratulations – Mike’s the No. 1 pick.”
Her response? “It’s cold there.”
Anyway, we were in agreement he’d be the Bulls’ pick. Now, though, I’m not so sure.
Derrick Rose is a Chicago native, but that isn’t the main factor. He’s a talent, a freak of nature, and the NBA, long a pick-and-roll league, is smitten with dynamic point guards – just look at the reaction to Chris Paul and Deron Williams in the playoffs. Given his attributes, Rose should be special. And, even with Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon on the roster, the Bulls are lacking a true point guard.
He’s kind of the obvious pick for the Bulls, which is exactly what Chicago management hopes Miami concludes. Pairing Rose with Dwyane Wade would be illegal, and the Heat would be back in the playoffs. Miami might be so desperate that the franchise might be willing to do something rash in order to move up one spot.
Personally, I think Chicago would be fine with Beasley. The problem with taking hometown kids is that’s when problems arise. Not suggesting there are character issues with Rose, but I can’t say for certain the same about the people he grew up around. That’s a headache waiting to happen.
Is Mike being slept on? Yeah, a little bit. He’s going to be an All-Star fixture in some lucky team’s frontcourt for the foreseeable future, easily the most NBA-ready player in the draft. And the best part with Mike is, his upside is unlimited. Did you hear Jay Bilas raving about his ability to score? Kansas State coach Frank Martin told us during the season that Beasley hasn’t really learned how to score yet.
The truth, as usual, is probably somewhere in the middle.
Point is, he’s far from a finished product. He’s just 19 years old.
Anyway, Ms. Smith said this morning, “It’s a win-win situation.” Chicago, while cold, would be outstanding for marketing opportunities. And Miami? Well, if you’ve never been, you wouldn’t understand the obvious appeal. I think Martin would be happy about that, but it might mean the Heat having to move one of his former players at Miami Senior, Udonis Haslem.
ALSO, Ms. Smith saw Bill Walker at the Wildcats’ postseason banquet. “If you took his head away, you wouldn’t have recognized him,” she said. Walker is apparently in fine shape, gearing up for workouts for pro teams. I’d say, minus an injury such as the one incurred by Kansas guard Brandon Rush, there is no chance Walker comes back to K-State. I’ve said for a while I thought he was a bottom of the first round pick, but now I feel if he works out well – and I suspect he’s going to embarrass some prospects with his athleticism and strength – he could move into the upper teens. What you have to understand – and Frank Martin tried explaining this last season – is the legend of Bill Walker. People were always raving about him, suggesting he might be the second coming of Vince Carter before he blew out his knee. Twice. But the legend is hard to kill. Don’t forget – he averaged 17 and 6 after blowing out his knee the second time, and he did it in the Big 12. Scouts realize if you take it slow with Walker, he’ll be a valuable rotation guy. Maybe even a star someday. Yes, I’m talking about the same Bill Walker who missed all 14 of his shot attempts and finished with one point in a Big Monday matchup against Texas.
But that’s the NBA. It’s a different game.
3 Comments
It sounds like he is in better shape now than during the season. That’s a little disappointing, especially after defending him for putting on so much weight after he got hurt last year. Still, I wish Bill the best and hope he prospers in the NBA.
hello,, i live in miami and we all are curious a bit about Beasley. Specifically, what is his TRUE height (and weight)
some websites say 6′9″ and some say 6′10″..
and any critiques as how he will do as a miami heat (if he does get drafted by Miami) is appreciated..
He’s a legit 6-foot-9, 6-foot-10 in sneakers, I’d say. Weight? Who knows? There is no doubt in my mind he’s a 20-10 guy in the NBA probably as soon as his second year. Write it down – he’ll average 10 rebounds in his rookie season easily. He could have gotten 10 rebounds a game in the NBA this past year. As for scoring, since D-Wade would be there already, it’s weird. He and Marion both have junk-type games – meaning you don’t have to run stuff for either and they’ll still score. In that sense, he’s a perfect complement to D-Wade, who chucks quite a bit. I’d guess he’d score 18 points a game and grab 11 rebounds. Not too bad, no?