National Basketball Association

Houston Rockets: Did They Find A Hidden Gem In Michael Beasley?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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After bouncing in and out of the NBA for the last few seasons, Michael Beasley might’ve found a home with the Houston Rockets

Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey has always had a keen eye for finding talent where others didn’t always see it.

Whether it was drafting Chandler Parsons in the second round, or signing a virtual unknown in Patrick Beverley, who now is known to be one of the best defenders at his position.

Morey understands that players only succeed when they’re put in a position to play to their strengths. That’s why he signed Michael Beasley to a contract towards the end of last season.

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Hoping to give B-Easy possibly his final shot at a chance to play in the NBA, Morey brought Beasley over from China and did what he always does, and that’s getting buckets.

Whether it was scoring off pull-up jumpers from midrange (shot 44.7 percent from 16 feet and beyond, and 45.5 percent from 10-15 feet) or scoring inside (shot 57.7 percent in the paint), Michael Beasley showed he can score with the best of them.

And when the team needed it most, he was a key contributor to the Houston Rockets during their final 20 games that got them into the playoffs.

But Beasley’s contributions weren’t limited to just scoring the ball. Last season, he showed off an improved defensive ability and willingness to put forth the effort needed on the less glamorous end of the floor.

He was third on the team in defensive plus/minus (+8), and he had a defensive rating of 105.8 (only Dwight Howard and Clint Capela on the team were better).

In win shares per 48 minutes, Beasley had a career high .128; and his total rebounding percentage of 14.9 percent was also a best.

This upcoming season, Michael Beasley is going to get another run with the team. However, his contract is only for the season, so he’s going to be looking to have a nice year as he looks to secure himself some stability with a long-term deal.

But he’ll only get it if he shows that his improvements on the defensive end were no fluke. His overall play is what got the Houston Rockets to bring him back for another year, so now it’s up to him to prove that they were right in doing so.

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