Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Beasley Shows Why Summer League Games Mean Nothing

Over the span of two days and two games, Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley proved summer league games, in the grand scheme of things, mean little to nothing.

On Monday, Beasley made his summer league debut against the Chicago Bulls, led by fellow super-prospect Derrick Rose. Beasley dominated, scoring 28 points in 23 minutes against very good NBA defenders in Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. He was having fun on the court, laughing, joking and singing as his team rolled over the Bulls.

The general consensus, it seemed , was that Beasley is a superstar.

Then came Tuesday, and things didn't go very well for the Heat forward. Beasley tallied just 9 points on 1-13 shooting to go along with 5 turnovers and 7 fouls. Visibly upset with his play, Beasley barked at the refs. Overall, his performance was less-than-stellar, to say the least.

The general consensus changed. Beasley is a rookie who might become a superstar.

If a player's entire future isn't determined by a single summer league game, what are they good for? The games give fans and coaches a first look at rookies or see how a second or third year player has developed over the summer. What are their strengths and weaknesses? Is his jump shot any better this year?

The key thing is this: do not overreact to each game. Remember, even Marcus Banks scored 42 points in his lone game last summer.

***

Since we're on the topic, how 'bout a video of Michael Beasley getting swatted by Tyrus Thomas?

Either Dante or Galante, who together form the legendary Orlando summer league announcing duo, had a brilliant call at the end: "[Beasley's] very upset as he smiles walking past half court." Thanks to Odenized for posting the video.

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About the Undrafted Free Agent

Ron Crimson was the only player on the high school roster to not get in a game. He couldn't argue with the decision, because he sucked. Needless to say, yet stated anyway, when he entered the NBA draft following his sophomore season in college, he went undrafted. Now, Ron Crimson is the Undrafted Free Agent.

Contact the Undrafted Free Agent

Interested in informing the Undrafted Free Agent of his mistakes, advertisement opportunities, or a scoop on the latest sports scandal? (You can guess which is more likely.) Well, email him at undraftedfreeagent [at] gmail.com.

Look at This!

There's nothing here; I just needed to fill some space. Space eater! Space eater! Space eater! Space eater! Space eater! Space eater! Space eater! Space eater! Space eater! I also needed to balance it out a bit.

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