One thing the San Antonio Spurs had over the Miami Heat was depth. With players like Kawhi Leonard, Boris Diaw, Danny Green and Patty Mills stepping up, the Spurs weren’t too reliant on Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli. The Miami Heat weren’t as lucky. To help their “Big 3” of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, they took a chance on two players, Greg Oden and Michael Beasley; neither worked out.
Oden has long been plagued with knee injuries and though his mind is willing, his body is not. Beasley on the other hand has great athletic ability but his mind has never been fully focused.
While Beasley appeared in 55 regular season contests, he played just six total minutes during Miami’s run to the Finals, before a 17-minute outing in Game 5 once the championship had already been lost. It was his lack of focus, more than anything, that caused the organization to lose trust.
From Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe:
The summer should be an interesting one for former second overall pick Michael Beasley, who is a free agent and is not likely to return to Miami after a disappointing second stint with the club. NBA sources said James was not pleased with Beasley’s focus and he lost the confidence of coach Erik Spoelstra shortly into the season. In one sequence that typified his career, Beasley swooped in for a tip-dunk in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. On the Spurs’ next possession, Beasley got lost on a pick-and-roll, allowing Diaw an open 3-pointer, which of course he swished. Beasley is likely to get a one-year deal on the open market and his past year in Miami did little to help his reputation.
