Could Michael Beasley Fill Cavs Roster Spot Best?
The Cleveland Cavaliers have one roster spot available. Most believe that the spot is being held for Ray Allen but could it be a different former Miami Heat player, Michael Beasley, that gets the spot? Beasley was with the Heat last season along with LeBron James, James Jones and Allen. Beasley, the former #2 overall pick behind Derrick Rose, has had a tough NBA career but seems to be developing, maturing with time.
Last year Beasley played in 55 games for the Heat. He only averaged just under 8 points, got over 3 rebounds, shot almost 50% from the field and 39% from the 3 point line. This year Beasley spent time in China. Alex Kennedy from Basketball Insiders gave this preview on the Beasley’s time in China and his possible return to the NBA:
"Michael Beasley – Beasley had a very successful season in the CBA, averaging 28.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.9 steals while shooting 55.5 percent from the field. He also set a CBA record for most points in the league’s All-Star Game (59), an achievement that’s even more impressive when you consider that he was a late addition to the game and dropped those 59 points off of the bench. Beasley had met with a few NBA teams before taking the deal in China, and he should receive interest from teams once again. Beasley has always been talented, but the off-court concerns and maturity issues have scared some teams away in the past. With that said, some executives were impressed with how he carried himself during his stint with the Miami HEAT last year, accepting a smaller role with maturity and playing the most efficient basketball of his career. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see a contender take a chance on Beasley just to see what he could bring to the table. Like Blatche, Beasley seems like a low-risk, high-reward move because he has the talent to really help a team and, if things go badly, they can just part ways with him. He could be a contributor if put in the right situation."
Is it possible that Beasley’s time with the Heat was successful related to LeBron?
With defensive minded Matthew Dellavedova, Iman Shumpert and Tristan Thompson on the bench, the offensively minded Beasley could be a perfect fit for the Cavs. Beasley has improved his shot, has always been dynamic going to the hole and has increased his post skills as well. His scoring in China is impressive but obviously not anything that can be expected in the NBA. His defensive limitations would be minimized with the players the Cavs would be surrounding him with as well as the limited minutes he would be playing.
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Signing Beasley could be the Cavs last move this season. They could still move Brendan Haywood via trade but nothing is guaranteed before the NBA Trade Deadline. Would Beasley, a combination small forward/power forward veteran with offensive upside, be worth spending the team’s last roster spot? Many fans will only remember the B-Easy who had so many troubles early in his career and answer the question with a no. Could GM David Griffin and Coach David Blatt, along with buy-in from LeBron decide the answer is yes?
Many worried about how J.R. Smith would fit with the Cavs and so far that has worked out really well. Michael Beasley is a bigger, less proven, left handed version of J.R. Swish. The Cavs are missing that kind of offensive player off the bench but could having both Smith and Beasley on the same team be a problem waiting to happen?
What do you think about Michael Beasley filling the Cavs last roster spot?