Beasley developing a passion for defense
Time was, Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley would have been the last option.
He was on the court for the final defensive possession of Monday's narrow victory against the Atlanta Hawks. It was a sign of the Heat coaching staff finally having confidence in Beasley as a defender.
"My rookie year and my second year, I would have been on the bench the whole fourth quarter," Beasley said. "I wouldn't have even seen the last play. Just the trust that [coach Erik Spoelstra] has in me right now on the defensive side, it's a testament to work."
Beasley was back in the lineup after missing seven games with a strained hamstring. His return comes just in time for the Heat's four-game, West Coast road trip. It starts with Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staple Center. The highlight of the stretch is a matchup with the top-seeded Portland Trail Blazers Saturday.
It provides yet another opportunity for Beasley to display his newfound interest. While he scored 10 points versus the Hawks, it was his contribution in other areas that drew the most attention. He also had seven rebounds and prevented forward Paul Millsap from scoring on the final possession in regulation.
"He gave us a spark there in the fourth quarter when we had [LeBron James] and [Chris Bosh] out of the game," Spoelstra said. "He was able to take some of the responsibility offensively but also defensively he gives us that athleticism. He still needs to get up to speed on what we're doing but he can cover a lot of ground."
For Beasley, the difference is simple. He's made an effort to become a better defensive player by developing a passion for it. He's long been considered just a scoring threat.
"It's really mentally," Beasley said. "It's first, wanting to do it. It's second, just taking a stand. The last play, I really didn't want the loss to be on me. That's where my motivation and energy came from. It's just knowing situations, knowing players, watching film, just wanting to do it and wanting to get a stop."
One of the reasons for the improvement is comfort. Beasley said the Heat's defensive system is "coming second nature." His intent now is to create scoring opportunities with defense.
"We always talk about being a two-way player," Bosh said. "He's kind of taken that on. All of his fundamentals on defense, doing small things like talking, making sure he's in the right space and just giving effort, it's been great."
