Jared Dudley says Michael Beasley 'still trying to find himself'

The Phoenix Suns were hoping for more from Michael Beasley when they signed him to a 3-year, $18 million deal over the summer, as the forward has been inconsistent and ineffective overall. While many may be frustrated with his play, Beasley's teammates say that he still has room to grow.

Suns wing Jared Dudley spoke with Arizona Sports 620 on Tuesday, and said that Beasley has a hard time staying motivated sometimes, according to arizonasports.com:

However Dudley, one of the leaders in the locker room, says it's not right to get down on Beasley because he's "still trying to find himself."

"There's some probably games where he just plays first and third (quarters), there's sometimes where if he didn't hit a shot early on he's frustrated," Dudley told Arizona Sports 620's Doug and Wolf Tuesday.

Beasley's numbers are well below what he has typically produced in the NBA, especially in terms of shooting percentages. The 4th-year veteran is hitting on just 41 percent of his two-point shots and 28 percent of his threes. With the Timberwolves last season, Beasley hit on 46 percent of his twos, and 38 percent from behind the arc.

The former Kansas State star is using slightly fewer possessions as his last year in Miami, but his current averages are well below his production from that season. The Suns will have to hope this is just a small sample size and he will break out of his slump soon.