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New York Knicks: Could Michael Beasley be back in 2018-19?

By John Azzato

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 12: Michael Beasley #8 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket against the Philadelphia 76ers in the third quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on February 12, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Knicks 108-92. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 12: Michael Beasley #8 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket against the Philadelphia 76ers in the third quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on February 12, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Knicks 108-92. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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Michael Beasley has been able to revive his career with the New York Knicks. Should the Knicks bring the veteran forward back for the 2018-19 season?

Michael Beasley struggled to live up to the hype of the No. 2 overall selection in the NBA Draft. However, with the New York Knicks, Beasley has proven to be a valued scorer.

Although he seemed to be a forgotten player in the past, the Knicks have tossed him into the spotlight. He’s now starting due to the horrific loss of Kristaps Porzingis to injury.

The question is: Has he shown enough to return to the Knicks in 2018-19?

Scoring

Michael Beasley is not a player with many tools, but boy does he excel at one. One thing that Beasley has been able to do throughout his career is score.

Beasley works best when he’s isolated with the ball in his hands. Although the Knicks have tried to move away from this method of scoring, Beasley is able to bring an effective volume of isolation offense to the Knicks.

Most importantly, he does this without stalling the offense for a large amount of time. This allows the Knicks to strike a good balance of running offensive sets, and isolating on offense.

Beasley has 3 games this year with 30 or more points, and 11 games with 20 or more. For a player making just over $2.1 million this year, he brings some solid offensive production, averaging 12.6 points in just 21.0 minutes per game.

Storyline

I believe the storyline that comes with MIchael Beasley is one that has matched the Knicks perfectly: New York. It’s the place where people come to make it. Beasley was a bust in the draft. His career was just passing by.

Then comes 2017-18.

Beasley is back in the spotlight, doing what he does best. Scoring the basketball left and right for the Knicks, doing isolation moves that only Beasley would. Hearing “MVP” from the crowd, and where else could it have happened but in New York?

Veteran Leadership

Beasley has been in the league since 2008, and it’s easy to say that he’s been through it all. From the highs of being drafted No. 2 overall to the lows of being called a bust. He’s traveled around the league to six different organizations, and knows what it’s like to not know what the future holds.

In my opinion, there’s nobody better to tell the tale of what the NBA can do to a player, and let the young guys know what it takes to rise up out of it. With his leadership, he can push young guys such as Emmanuel Mudiay and Frank Ntilikina to work as hard as they can.

It doesn’t matter when you get drafted; you still have to work to earn success in this league. If anyone knows that, it’s Michael Beasley.

So yes, it’s certainly possible that the Knicks will bring him back as a cloak to surround the rebuild. His 20 or 30-point games may distract the fans for a while.

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However, this will only happen if the New York Knicks truly value the journey he’s been on, and the storyline he comes with.