Michael Beasley has a bit of a bone to pick with the team that drafted him.
In an interview with the New York Post’s Marc Berman that ran Thursday, the veteran forward took shots at the Miami Heat and his ex-coach Erik Spoelstra.
“I feel I could’ve gotten more out of that organization,” said Beasley. “I feel Spo could have believed in me a lot more than he did. It’s in the past. [There’s] no love lost.
“There’s a lot of guys who didn’t play defense,” he continued, hinting that Spoelstra would single him out for his poor defensive play. “When the game is over and it’s 4-2 at the final buzzer, then you can hold one person accountable for the defense. When teams [are] scoring 100 points a game…”
Beasley did speak highly of Heat president Pat Riley, however, saying of Riley, “He’s a Hall of Famer — one of my favorite people in the world. He helped me in life.” But the 28-year-old did add that Riley “might owe me some things.”
Beasley was drafted by the Heat with the No. 2 overall pick in the loaded 2008 draft, ahead of the likes of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love. Unfortunately, he failed to meet expectations in South Beach and was gone by the time The Big Three era kicked off in 2010 (though he did return to Miami for two subsequent stints in the 2013-14 season and again in the 2014-15 season).
Granted, the former Kansas State star has somewhat redeemed himself with the New York Knicks this season, averaging 11.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in just 18.5 minutes per game. But you can be the judge of whether Beasley’s struggles in Miami were the result of Spoelstra’s coaching or his own doing.
