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Dominating the B Squad is impressive in the light that they are as talented as any team in the NBA 1-10, but the end result is the same, they dominated the B Squad of the Denver Nuggets. This game as well as the other six in the pre-season has showed a team continuing to look for an identity.
Part of that identity is going to come from getting the most value out of Michael Beasley, consistently, on a night-by-night basis.
Last night was a glimpse into good Beasley, the Beasley that dominated the college ranks becoming a prospect worth considering for the No. 1 pick before eventually going No. 2 overall. He clearly has the talent and potential to play this game at the highest level, but consistency will always be an Achilles Heel he has to fight, on a night-by-night basis.
Sure, his 29 points and 10 rebounds were enough for the Suns to knock off the short-handed Nuggets. He was efficient all game including connecting on all three of his long balls in what amounts to the exact performance the team needs for the next 246 games that he is contracted for.
Even within a game like this consistency was a factor. Beasley led the way, but on 3-4 possessions in the second and third quarters respectively Beasley let the defense guard him. Evan Fournier and Corey Brewer are good players, but their ability to deny Beasley more scoring opportunities shows that Heel that he still needs to fight and work on.
What is more indicative of the player Beasley can be? Is it the 29 points on 13-21 shots from the field and 10 rebounds or is it the 10 points and just over 2 rebounds per game he averaged in the other six pre-season games? The key is aggressiveness as the coaches, players, and Beasley himself said after the game. Taking 10 shots per game is unacceptable for a player of Beasley's caliber.
The time to start answering questions begins in four days.