March 15
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley missed his second consecutive game Sunday due to a bruised left thigh. Beasley arrived at AmericanAirlines Arena more than four hours before his team faced the Philadelphia 76ers, but was unable to push through a pregame workout. "I just can't push off on it the way I need to yet," he said, having sustained the injury in the third quarter of Wednesday's victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. "But it feels a whole lot better than when I did it and a lot better than the past two days.""
March 11
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
columnist Ethan J. Skolnick
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An hour before Wednesday night's tipoff against the Los Angeles Clippers, Michael Beasley had one simple request. "I just want something with white that I can draw on," he said. He found that coveted blank canvas on the toe box of a leather basketball shoe. There, his black marker went to work, producing a passable portrait of Mickey. Mickey, as in Mouse. Not Micky, as in Arison, the Heat owner. That's Michael Beasley. That's fine. So long as he doesn't dawdle on the court, there's no harm in doodling off of it. He's immature, but also earnest, and endearing. It would nice for him to play the next decade here, to see what sort of person and player he becomes. It would also be nice to see ..."
March 11
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Wade was supported by 19 points from center Jermaine O'Neal and 15 from forward Michael Beasley, who was forced to the bench in the third quarter with a bruised left thigh. "Overall it was a good home win," Wade said. "Now we get some rest.""
March 8
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Here's what matters about Dwyane Wade getting in Michael Beasley's chest during Saturday night's victory over the Hawks: That he got in Michael Beasley's chest. That Beasley was deemed worthy of a wakeup jolt. That Wade thought there was more that Beasley could offer. You only provide wake-up calls to someone you want to go to work with. Don't understate that element of Saturday's crisis management between the two. We know Wade wants to go to work with Udonis Haslem. We sense he appreciates what Jermaine O'Neal's interior game can create."
March 8
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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The lesson from the past week and even past few days is clear: Fall in line or fade away. So even after being benched at the end of three consecutive games, Michael Beasley opted against an I-told-you-so approach after Saturday's breakthrough against the Atlanta Hawks. Instead, after scoring 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, the second-year forward said he appreciated the approach coach Erik Spoelstra had taken leading to the victory that extended the Miami Heat's winning streak to three. "The lineup coach decides to play is usually a good one," Beasley said. "I look at Coach Spoelstra like a guru. He usually knows what he's talking about, so I'm not really going to argue about my ..."
March 7
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Michael Beasley had been beaten up plenty. This time the second-year Miami Heat forward fought back. Benched for the close of the previous three games, admonished by teammate Dwyane Wade for a botched alley-oop attempt earlier, and then pulled briefly in the finally minutes, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft made himself the leading man at the close of Saturday's 100-94 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at AmericanAirlines Arena. "I desperately needed this game, just for confidence," Beasley said after providing a desperately needed finishing kick. "Things just happened. I was playing hard." With two late steals, an alley-oop dunk, a layup and a 3-pointer, Beasley went Wade on ..."
March 4
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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A remarkable thing happened in the wake of Michael Beasley's late-game benching in Tuesday's 110-106 victory over the Warriors. Nothing. No indignation about coach Erik Spoelstra pulling the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft with 2:12 to play and then going without him the rest of the game. No follow-up questions at Wednesday's practice. No conjecture, debate, ire about the Heat being up 79-71 when Beasley was removed and then having to desperately fight for survival after falling behind in the fourth quarter. Earlier this season, if Beasley was limited to the 21:28 he played Tuesday, the fury would have overwhelmed the hype to Thursday's visit by Kobe and the Lakers."
March 3
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Off nights are one thing. Being a not-so-innocent bystander is another. That, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, is the lesson second-year forward Michael Beasley should take out of his Sunday no-show against the Orlando Magic. "You have to be an active participant in your involvement," Spoelstra said before Tuesday's game against the Golden State Warriors. "For a big, that means you're working to get open on cuts, offensive rebounds are always great opportunities to be involved, setting pick and rolls at the end of offense, flaring for open jump shots or rolls to the rim, which is part of his game." Spoelstra's point is for Beasley to ask not what the Heat can do for him but what he ..."
March 2
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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With Michael Beasley, the storylines are constant and run deep. Just in the past two weeks, there was management making it clear that it would not part with the second-year forward at the NBA trading deadline. As with most discussions of the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the gist has been about growth yet to come, strides to be made. And yes, growth curves are not constants. There are dips and rises along the way. Yet Sunday's loss in Orlando was a moment that made you wonder where this all is headed."
February 25
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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First, let's start from the premise that mid-range shooters are a dime a dozen in the NBA, especially mid-range missers. Then let's move on to the notion that Michael Beasley is a dynamic scoring presence, a power forward, someone who prefers to face up, but still can be explosive off the dribble. Then consider Tuesday night's 91-88 loss to the Timberwolves, because, until Saturday's home showdown against the Bucks, that's all the Heat has available to consider. Against Minnesota, Beasley shot 5 of 18. Hey, it happens, even to the most-talented of prospects. But in this case, the issue is location, location, location."
February 23
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Michael Beasley's heart and pride are in the right place. But the reality is he is in a different place than he was at Kansas State and all those other places where he was the featured scorer. With the Heat, he is a Tito Jackson, a supporting player. Just like Scottie Pippen was in Chicago. And Kevin McHale was in Boston. And James Worthy was in Los Angeles. That doesn't mean he can't be great, an All-Star, even dream about being a Hall of Famer. But in the NBA, it's about one player leading."
February 23
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley has a message for TNT broadcaster Charles Barkley: My name is not Tito Jackson. On a few occasions, beginning with the start of last season's playoffs, Barkley, the outspoken NBA analyst and Hall of Fame player, has referred to the Miami Heat as Michael Jackson (that would be Dwyane Wade) and a bunch of Titos, Michael's brother and a background member of the famed Jackson 5 singing group. What Barkley really means is the rest of the Heat is comprised of relative unknowns. "It's just disrespectful," Beasley said. "Not disrespectful to Tito Jackson. The way Charles worded it, it makes us feel a little disrespected." Beasley continues his quest to make ..."
February 17
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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This time, Michael Beasley got permission. Friday night, the second-year Miami Heat power forward removed his knee brace during the Rookie Challenge in Dallas, then put it back on after Heat President Pat Riley relayed his disapproval through sophomore coach Patrick Ewing. Beasley wore it throughout Monday's practice, but learned Tuesday morning from team doctors that he wouldn't need it against the Philadelphia 76ers. Beasley injured his right knee on Jan. 27 against the Toronto Raptors and, after missing two games, returned to average 12.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in six games while wearing the brace. "I got used to it," Beasley said. "I still don't like it, but it was on, and there was ..."
February 12
Miami Herald
columnist Michael Wallace
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In preparation for the story in today's section on the bond between Michael Beasley and Udonis Haslem amid their battle for minutes at power forward, I had a chance to sit down at length with coach Erik Spoelstra about his views on how this situation has played out. Spoelstra admitted two things that sort of surprised me. Not so much as far as how the Beasley-Haslem ordeal has played out at power forward. But just in the fact that Spoelstra also had some initial misgivings about how each player would handle the move. On the other hand, he remains as firm in the power forward rotation now as he's ever been. "When we're healthy, that rotation has been solid," Spoelstra said. "Mike has been a ..."
February 12
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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As we debate the merits of Michael Beasley vs. Amare Stoudemire, there is another, unspoken factor in the equation. By including Beasley in a trade now, rather than signing a free agent outright in the offseason, it takes Beasley's contract off the 2010-11 books, and therefore opens additional cap space. Beasley is on the books at $4.96 million next season. That's why, if Stoudemire is acquired in a trade for Beasley, it only adds about $12 million to the Heat's cap. If he is signed as a free agent in the offseason, the figure is closer to $17 million against the Heat's cap."
February 12
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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A year ago, Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley arrived at All-Star Weekend without any sense of peer pressure. Childhood summer-ball teammate Kevin Durant was lined up on the opposite side of the court for the Rookie Challenge with the sophomore team. Derrick Rose, the player selected one pick ahead of him in the 2006 NBA Draft, was a teammate on the rookie team for the event matching first- and second-year players. Beasley felt as if he fit right in. A year later, Durant has moved on to the All-Star Game itself, as the league's hottest scorer, and Rose also has graduated to the weekend's main showcase, as well, excused from having to run with Beasley's sophomore team during Friday night's ..."
February 11
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Michael Beasley has taken the next step in his NBA journey. He now has to deal with trade rumors while pushing through a season. About 20 minutes before the Miami Heat arrived for Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena, Beasley was informed of a latest round of speculation linked to Phoenix Suns forward Amare Stoudemire, a round that included him as a potential part of a deal. "I don't pay attention to the talk," he said. Until now, there was little reason to, beyond some trade speculation around last June's draft. This time, though, Stoudemire's status as a potential impending 2010 free agent adds credibility to permutations involving the Heat. "Amare is a great ..."
February 2
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Michael Beasley returned to the Miami Heat starting lineup Monday night against the Milwaukee Bucks after a two-game absence, but center Jermaine O'Neal replaced him on the team's inactive list. After missing two games with a hyperextended right knee sustained in Wednesday's loss to the Toronto Raptors, Beasley returned after being fitted with a bulky knee brace. He was approved to return after working during Monday's pregame session at AmericanAirlines Arena under the eye of trainer Jay Sabol."
February 1
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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The Miami Heat received mixed results from MRIs taken Sunday on ailing forward Michael Beasley and sidelined guard Mario Chalmers. The test on Beasley's hyperextended right knee came back negative, with the starting power forward possibly to return as soon as Monday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks at AmericanAirlines Arena. The MRI on Chalmers, however, showed a partial tear in his sprained left thumb, putting the backup point guard out indefinitely, quite possibly through the NBA All-Star break, which ends Feb. 15. Beasley was injured during the first quarter of Wednesday night's road loss to the Toronto Raptors, missing Friday night's road victory over the Detroit Pistons and ..."
January 31
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Even when questions mounted about his ability, there never was a question about Mario Chalmers' availability. That changed Saturday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, with the second-year point guard sitting out for the first time in the 129 games he has spent with the Miami Heat since being selected out of Kansas in the second round of the 2008 NBA Draft. Chalmers, who had started the first 104 games of his career before being demoted to second string on Dec. 15, was held out of Saturday's game at the Bradley Center due to the sprained left thumb he sustained in the second quarter of Friday's 92-65 victory over the Detroit Pistons. "It swelled up a little more today," he said shortly ..."
January 30
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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In what he claims is the first time on any level that he has missed a game or practice due to injury, Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley was reduced to spectator for Friday night's game against the Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Beasley hyperextended his right knee in Wednesday night's loss to the Toronto Raptors and was unable to participate in Friday morning's shootaround. "I've never missed a game in my life until last year, ever," he said of sitting out one game last season due to the flu. "So this is like ludicrous." Both Beasley and coach Erik Spoelstra continue to downplay the injury, with Beasley holding out hope for a return Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks. It ..."
January 29
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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While Michael Beasley reported continued soreness in his right knee, the team's training staff Thursday detected no swelling related to the hyperextension the second-year Miami Heat forward sustained in Wednesday's 111-103 loss to the Toronto Raptors. With the team holding an optional practice Thursday at Oakland University, Beasley remained behind to take additional treatment on the injury sustained when he landed awkwardly on the foot of Raptors forward Hedo Turkoglu while going for an alley-oop pass from teammate Rafer Alston. Coach Erik Spoelstra listed Beasley as "game-time, if not doubtful" for Friday's 8 p.m. matchup with the Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Beasley ..."
January 28
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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A year ago, when Michael Beasley was selected to the Rookie Challenge during NBA All-Star Weekend, he was playing as a reserve, almost an afterthought after being taken No. 2 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft. This year, the Miami Heat forward will return to the event with a bit higher profile, having started every game this season. Beasley on Wednesday was one of nine second-year players selected by NBA assistant coaches to compete against nine rookies in the Feb. 12 event at Dallas' American Airlines Center."
December 7
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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After a 2-2 road trip, it could be argued the Miami Heat will pick up at home where it left off before heading west, at two games above .500. Coach Erik Spoelstra doesn't see it that way, not after Sunday's 115-102 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Arco Arena, fueled by 34 points from guard Dwyane Wade. "This was about as good and as strong as a 2-2 road trip can be," Spoelstra said. "The direction we've moved in. we feel like we've made some good steps." After winning in Portland and Sacramento, and pushing the league-best Lakers to the final second Friday in a one-point loss in Los Angeles, the Heat returns for its six-game homestand a bit better defined, albeit with an 11-9 record. ..."