New York Knicks: Who stepped up against the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 30?

Michael Beasley

The New York Knicks have learned to trust Michael Beasley, and to the surprise of many, it’s an approach that’s paying off. Not only is Beasley scoring at a high level in 2017-18, but he’s rebounding well and committing more than expected to executing on defense.

Against the Brooklyn Nets, Beasley continued to produce in a well-rounded capacity during what proved to be a winning effort.

Beasley played 23 minutes against the Nets, and while it wasn’t his most efficient showing, it was of great value. He put up 12 points, 13 rebounds, and four offensive boards, shooting 4-of-11 from the field and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe.

It was yet another another double-double from Beasley, whose six in 2017-18 are easily his most since 2010-11, when he put up eight in 73 games.

The concerted effort to rebound is making it significantly easier to justify playing Beasley significant minutes. Instead of limiting himself to simply scoring—valuable a skill as that may be—he’s now producing at a high level in a second area.

It may be extreme to say that New York wouldn’t have won without Beasley, but he undeniably facilitated the end result with his balanced contributions.