"Heat rookie Michael Beasley has an admirer in Hall of Famer Kevin McHale, Minnesota's coach.

''I thought he was the most gifted guy in the draft,'' said McHale, who scouted Beasley last year. 'He's going to be fine. He's a kid. It's like [Timberwolves rookie forward] Kevin Love, I keep telling him, `You're 20.' These guys are going to be really, really good players for years and years.

``They're going to be able to play 15, 16, 17 years, and that's huge.''

In his former role as Minnesota's vice president of basketball operations, McHale did his homework on Beasley in case he dropped to No. 3 in the NBA Draft."