Suns coach compares Beasley to sensitive child
by Adi Joseph, USA TODAY Sports
Michael Beasley is 6 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 235 pounds. He had one of the best freshman seasons in college basketball history in his one year at Kansas State. He was picked second overall in the 2008 NBA draft, ahead of All-Stars Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Brook Lopez and Roy Hibbert.
And he’s not very good at the NBA.
Makes you want to scream? Don’t.
Phoenix Suns interim coach Lindsey Hunter says Beasley needs to be treated like a sensitive child. Hunter doesn’t mean Beasley isn’t tough, just that he might break down and cry if you’re mean to him. Got it?
“It’s just like raising kids,” Hunter told The (Phoenix) Arizona Republic this week. “One kid you may be able to raise your voice with, the other kid if you raise your voice, they break down and cry.”
We’re not doubting the effectiveness of Hunter’s teaching methods. He has the Suns playing their best basketball recently, helping to turn around presumed bust Wes Johnson and getting cohesiveness out of a team fired coach Alvin Gentry struggled with for a 13-28 start.
Beasley, though, remains an issue. Phoenix gave him $18 million over three years this offseason as a free agent despite his mediocrity in four seasons with the Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves. He averages 10.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.0 turnovers in 21.3 minutes a game, shooting 39.4%. Those are career lows except for the turnovers, which are up byt not quite as high as when he averaged 19.2 points, 2.7 turnovers and 32.3 minutes a game for the T’wolves in 2010-11, his best season.
Moreover, though Hunter may not be yelling at Beasley, he has shown his disapproval. Beasley has averaged 12.6 minutes in seven games since the All-Star break, and in that span, Phoenix is 4-3, including a current three-game winning streak. His play has been dreadful in that span, which also included the trade deadline addition of Marcus Morris, who plays a similar role as a skilled combo forward.
Hunter remains confident he will squeeze value out of Beasley, who has struggled with depression and legal issues, including having … [For more on Suns coach compares Michael Beasley to sensitive child, click here.]
Loading ...
