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Roles are crucial in an NBA player's career development in the league, and such was the case for Michael Beasley. The former number two overall pick shared on "Club 520 Podcast" that things would have turned out differently if he was given a proper role with the New York Knicks. He argued that the fit didn't work in his favor.
He was originally signed by the Knicks franchise on Aug. 8, 2017, where he played over 74 games that season. He scored 13.2 points (50.7% shooting, including 39.5% from beyond the arc) and 5.6 rebounds per game. It was a New York squad composed of various role players, and Kristaps Porzingis was the face of the franchise.
"With Porzingis, Tim Hardaway, and Courtney Lee, I could've made that a playoff team," Beasley said. "I was playing out of position. ... I could've run a great pick-and-roll game with Kyle O'Quinn and Kristaps Porzingis. ... But Jeff [Hornaceck] was on the hot seat and Porzingis didn't really know how to play basketball."
"I was just playing basketball, so that situation was trash, man."
Porzingis wasn't playing at the caliber he played with the Washington Wizards and the Boston Celtics. He was still figuring out how to utilize his skill set best, which can be said the same for the other players on that team.
Beasley also highlighted coaching as a problem for the team as their capabilities on the court weren't utilized to highlight their strengths best.
Roles can make or break the career of any NBA player as not every athlete can easily adapt to whatever responsibilities are thrown at him. Looking back on his time in New York, he felt confident that he could have been a huge piece in transforming the team into a playoff squad with his skills and the pieces around him.
Michael Beasley revealed his preference to remain in New York
Michael Beasley shared in his interview with HoopsHype on Jan. 24, 2022, that he originally wanted to be a part of the New York Knicks.
"New York hurt my feelings so badly," Beasley said. "I really wanted to stay in New York for the rest of my career. ... They wanted me to come back on a veteran minimum deal. I was like, that's not fair. At least give me $1 million more. While we were negotiating, they signed Mario Hezonja. ... they gave him the contract I asked for ..."
There were disagreements regarding the value of his contract then. Given his production for the team during the 2017-18 season, Beasley argued he deserved the asking price he pitched to the front office.
However, the signing of Mario Hezonja closed all hope for a contract extension as he received the type of deal he was seeking from the organization. Beasley took his talents to the LA Lakers for a one-season stint before moving on from his time in the NBA.
