Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Is there ever any hope for a so-called ‘bust?’ If so, just how many seasons are those players allotted before they are considered to be a true disappointment? For Michael Beasley, the time may have already passed.
But, is there any hope for the veteran forward’s career?
The former second overall pick has a career average of 14.1 points on 44.7 percent shooting. He’s averaged 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists as well. From three point range he has been much worse than anticipated coming out of college as a pure scorer and has put up just over 34 percent from long distance.
Last season with the Phoenix Suns, the 24-year old had his worst season yet as a pro and only found himself putting up 10.1 points per game on 40.5 percent shooting. From outside the arc he shot just over 31 percent. His rebounding average was the lowest it’s ever been and he averaged the second-most turnovers per game of his career.
During his first season with the Miami Heat, most thought he would turn out to be a relatively good player. From that point on, though, his shooting only worsened. With the Minnesota Timberwolves, he did average a career best 19 points per game but also partly due to the fact that he took way more shots during that season than any others in his five years.
Going into 2013, could he find himself on the rise with the Suns? Will he be able to take advantage of minutes off the bench and become a more efficient player all around? There’s no question the athleticism is there. He simply needs to put in the work to get it done. Beasley has plenty of years left in his career, but at this point it does not look promising for the maturity-lacking forward.
Ryan Heckman is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
