> Posted by Ira Winderman on September 29, 2009 12:27 PM
Apparently nothing is guaranteed when it comes to Big 12 power forwards.
Last year, after a month-long test drive with the first unit, Michael Beasley was shuffled to the Heat bench for virtually the balance of his rookie season.
Now, out in Los Angeles, Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy has said 2009 No. 1 overall draft pick Blake Griffin (pictured below), at least for the start of the exhibition season, will play off the bench in favor of Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby.
So which of the lottery picks is more likely to start on opening night?
It could be an intriguing race.
For his part, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Beasley during his team's media day, "it would be surprising for him not to step into a primary role on this team."
Of course, to Spoelstra, Beasley also served a primary role last season, when he played predominantly as a reserve.
Tuesday, on the first official day of training camp, Spoelstra said he did not anticipate any issues working a player as young as Beasley in at both small forward and power forward, even though those groups tend to work at different baskets during practice.
"It would have been if we didn't have the time in the summer," he said of the two months Beasley, 20, worked with the team's coaching staff. "We had eight weeks to work on a lot of things and really do it in a teaching format and break down the fundamentals of the things we get into in camp.
"If you came in naked, coming into a camp like this, trying to play two positions or if you didn't have experience in the league, it would probably be a little overwhelming."
For his part, caught in somewhat of a limbo between bench and starting, and between small and power forward, Beasley said Tuesday he is ready for any challenge this next month delivers.
"I think I'm going to do what I got to do for the team," he said. "If I've got to play five positions, that's what I'm going to do to help our team win."
The concern last season when Beasley started was early foul trouble. It would be an issue exacerbated playing against more agile small forwards.
"I've been working on moving my feet, working on moving my feet and guarding smaller guys," the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 draft said.
Asked what starting is worth to him, Beasley said, "definitely fighting for. I think every player in this league wants to be a starter and everybody wants to be a 35-, 40-minute-a-night player. But whether I come off the bench, starting, I'm going to play my minutes hard. I'm going to do what I got to do to help our team win."
Perhaps the Heat set the Big 12 patience precedent last season with Beasley.
Or perhaps this is the year the best the Big 12 has had to offer the last two years muscles into starting lineups on opposite coasts.
