So Long Beasley ("I'm Just Not Liked")

[Klomp]

Link?

[BeasleyTheBeast]

Link?

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Cont ... here041512

[Klomp]

A week ago, Michael Beasley delivered a passionate dissertation on how much he wanted to remain with the Timberwolves and how much he "loved the fans, the city and the organization."

Before the Wolves' 91-84 loss to Memphis on Tuesday night, April 17, at Target Center, the Wolves' 11th straight loss, Beasley's tone was dramatically different.

The Wolves forward felt uncomfortable talking about his future with the team and expressed mild frustration over not getting a contract extension before the Jan. 25 deadline.

"My future is so blurry," said Beasley, a restricted free agent after the season. "I don't have too much to say about next year. It's frustrating not knowing your situation next year. So many of my friends are certain where they're going to play next year. They got contract extensions. But that's how the ball drops."

One of Beasley's friends, Wolves forward Kevin Love, signed a four-year contract extension in January worth $62 million. Beasley was in a similar situation, but Wolves owner Glen Taylor and president of basketball operations Dave Kahn chose to wait until after the season to decide whether to pick up the final year of Beasley's contract. Beasley is due $8.172 million in 2012-13.

A week ago, Beasley said he was content to let his contract situation "play itself out" in the offseason. With three games remaining and the Wolves in a stressful late-season slump, Beasley appears to be thinking more about the next phase of his career.

The
four-year veteran had a lot on his mind before Tuesday's game, even expressing disappointment in himself for not reaching several goals he set before the season.

"My goals were set high when I came in this year," he said. "None of my goals were met. I wanted to be one of the better playmakers on the team, one of the better defenders...the guy to get the team going, the guy to keep the team afloat. It didn't work out that way."

Another tough development, Beasley admitted, was his difficulty in adjusting to coming off the bench.

Beasley, who entered Tuesday's game averaging 11.6 points and 4.4 rebounds, needed 11 games to recover from a foot injury in January.

When Beasley was healthy enough to play, coach Rick Adelman used him off the bench in a rotation with Love and rookie Derrick Williams. Beasley started the first seven games of the season, but he hasn't started since, and he indicated that he might not want the reserve role to become permanent if he returns to the Wolves next season.

"I can adapt to any role, but I don't want to get comfortable in a reserve role," Beasley said. "The reserve role is what the coach wanted, but that's not really my plans for the future. I see myself as a starter. Now I have to prove it."

The question: Will it be with the Wolves or another team?

In light of the Wolves' injury problems, Adelman said he needed Beasley in a reserve role to provide scoring off the bench.

Adelman has often said he was uncomfortable putting Beasley back in the starting lineup with such limited scoring among the reserves, a unit that has drawn criticism from Adelman for not performing better after injuries to Love (mild concussion, strained neck), Ricky Rubio (knee), Luke Ridnour (ankle, groin), Nikola Pekovic (ankles) and J.J. Barea (hamstring, bruised thigh).

Adelman has been evaluating players during the losing streak and he's facing a key decision regarding Beasley. Keeping Beasley for next season, and returning him to the starting lineup, leaves Williams, the No. 2 overall pick in last year's draft, still battling for minutes, and that's something the Wolves are trying to avoid.

As much as Beasley expressed a desire a week ago to stay with the Wolves, reality might be settling in with him. Even when asked about what improvements the Wolves need to make for next season, Beasley didn't feel comfortable offering his opinion.

Beasley, however, shared in the consensus among his teammates that the Wolves, despite the late-season fade, showed glimpses of a promising future - whether or not that future includes him.

"Before the injuries got us, it was fun," Beasley said. "There was a winning atmosphere. We believed we could win. Even the games we lost, we lost by a couple of mistakes. It was fun to see everybody happy."

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_204 ... ext-season

[Flash4thewin]

Unless Minn is going to offer a substancial offer it would be foolish for him to return. Think about it, yes it is better to be a starter on a lotter team getting paid vs being a sub on team that might or might not make the playoffs (i bet this team does but it all depend on how Rubio returns). Thats not even factoring contenters that want him. As an example lets say the Min offer isnt that much more than what LA can offer, what would you choose? Sometimes its best to just part ways

[shangrila]

Contenders wouldn't give him a starting job either. He's too inconsistent/inefficient and doesn't bring enough outside of scoring even when he's on. Unless he goes to a bad team, he'll be coming off the bench.

[Esohny]

Contenders wouldn't give him a starting job either. He's too inconsistent/inefficient and doesn't bring enough outside of scoring even when he's on. Unless he goes to a bad team, he'll be coming off the bench.

Yup.

[Flash4thewin]

Contenders wouldn't give him a starting job either. He's too inconsistent/inefficient and doesn't bring enough outside of scoring even when he's on. Unless he goes to a bad team, he'll be coming off the bench.

Yup.

I ment the role of a sub, if your going to be a sub and the money is more or less the same why would you honestly pick Min over LA for example?

[The J Rocka]

Contenders wouldn't give him a starting job either. He's too inconsistent/inefficient and doesn't bring enough outside of scoring even when he's on. Unless he goes to a bad team, he'll be coming off the bench.

Yup.

I ment the role of a sub, if your going to be a sub and the money is more or less the same why would you honestly pick Min over LA for example?

He has friends on the team, well liked by his teammates (so it appears), he bought his new home here, and he just seems to like being here, in terms of the environment. It's all up to him whether or not he wants to be apart of the future. We gave him a chance when many other teams wouldn't.

[shangrila]

Who knows? Maybe he'd want to stick it out with the up and coming team rather than the older one? Or maybe he doesn't want to completely uproot his family for what amounts to little or no change? Maybe he's got friends here he wouldn't want to leave?

There's more factors than just "oh, it's LA, it's warmer, let's go there".

[Stebo_SSK]

Beasley could definitely have a future in LA. Kobe isnt going to play forever and Ron Artest is a bad playoff series from being amnestied if they cant trade him.

[Narf]

Contenders wouldn't give him a starting job either. He's too inconsistent/inefficient and doesn't bring enough outside of scoring even when he's on. Unless he goes to a bad team, he'll be coming off the bench.

*cough*Lakers Magic Hawks*cough*

[shangrila]

Contenders wouldn't give him a starting job either. He's too inconsistent/inefficient and doesn't bring enough outside of scoring even when he's on. Unless he goes to a bad team, he'll be coming off the bench.

*cough*Lakers Magic Hawks*cough*

Yes, he'll be coming off their bench too.