Michael Beasley Jokes About Erik Spoelstra Being ‘His Best Defender’

Michael Beasley had a precocious Heat career cut short after his inability to listen to execute what Erik Spoelstra instructed him.

Michael Beasley Jokes About Erik Spoelstra Being ‘His Best Defender’

Erik Spoelstra, Michael Beasley (FS Image)

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LeBron James and Kevin Durant are two of the 10 greatest scorers of all time; KD is probably top 3 to 5. These are guys who have compiled shot after shot against NBA playoff defenses as the sole focus. Yet, in 1v1 play, both of them had their lunch money taken by Michael Beasley. The former Kansas State product had a barnstorming year in the NCAA as a one-and-done player, compiling 28 double-doubles in his year.

Beasley then broke the record held previously by Carmelo Anthony for most double-doubles by a freshman. At the time, the NBA had already seen Melo and KD as elite long small forward prospects who got their points from the mid-range. Beasley was in a draft class with Derrick Rose, Kevin Love and Russell Wesbrook, but arguably had a better college career than all three of these Hall of Fame players.

It was no accident that the Miami Heat, who had had a horrendous 2007-08 season with Dwyane Wade injured, invested their No. 2 pick on the combo forward. Beasley was expected to be a co-star for Wade in the leadup to the draft. But this never materialized as the speed of the NBA game caused a few issues for Beasley on defense. After a couple of years of runway, he was traded away to make way for the Big 3.

Michael Beasley did make a return to Miami later in his career after a spell in Minnesota. However, he was used in a reduced role in the 2013-14 season. It was at this time that he beat LeBron James in a 1v1 challenge. Blew out the 2-time defending champion, MVP and Finals MVP, as a matter of fact. However, head coach Erik Spoelstra didn’t give him much burn on the floor despite his elite scoring abilities.

Speaking in a recent interview with CBS Sports, the current Big3 player had a tongue-in-cheek moment when asked who his best defender in the NBA was:

Rick Adelman, Erik Spoelstra, whoever the head coach was at the time…Yeah Erik Spoelstra, he never put me in the game.

How good was Michael Beasley?

Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley grew up in the same area of the DMV area – PG County. The two forwards crossed paths numerous times in their rise to basketball stardom, and eventually their NBA fame. Durant is looked at as a monumental, all-time great scorer, and the ideal 1v1 player you could build in a lab.

Michael Beasley beat LeBron James in a 1v1 battle
Michael Beasley beat LeBron James in a 1v1 battle (Image via FirstSportz)

But according to the 4-time scoring champion, Beasley was so good at 1v1 during their formative years that he would beat Durant ‘every time’, in his own words. Beasley was even counted as an unstoppable scorer by most scouting reports during his NBA tenure. Getting buckets and beating defenders was never a problem for Beasley in the league, and hasn’t been a problem in the Big3 either.

However, it was the rest of his game that proved to be problematic for the 36-year-old. Beasley was a poor team defender and was often caught napping or reacting late to off-ball actions by the offense. He could get screened or blown by multiple times in a possession. He often got targeted in this way, and eventually never built a solid NBA career as a starter due to these deficiencies.

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