There’s any number of low-hanging fruit punchlines to choose from in response to Michael Beasley saying that he thinks he can become a leader amongst his Timberwolves teammates, but I don’t intend to select any of those. I’m actually going the other way here, and buying in low on Beasley’s ability to become just that. Why not, the kid’s only twenty-two?
Sure I know he’s fresh off a summer where he allegedly pushed a fan in the face, and also got popped for driving in a car with some weed in it, but he’s doing some positive things too.
He seems to be accepting the tutelage and guidance from a former Laker named Norm Nixon, who also helped Jalen Rose through some rough patches in his career too, and it seems to be paying some early dividends for the now slimmed down Beasley.
This from Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune:
“Nixon’s influence can be seen in Beasley’s slimmer and more flexible body. Nixon’s wife is Debbie Allen, the actress, director and famed choreographer who owns an L.A. dance studio and Nixon and Beasley spent time there this summer applying the stretching elements of dance to Beasley’s body.
Included one day was a lesson from a prima ballerina with the Bolshoi.
“When you start teaching guys and make them understand better about their bodies, they become better pros,” Nixon said.”
You read that correctly, B-Easy is in ballet class. Seems funny at first, but there’s no way that couldn’t improve your footwork some. A slimmed down, more agile Beasley just might be able to step out onto the perimeter and play the three pretty effectively for all of next season too. Assuming he stays out of trouble moving forward, that is, something else Nixon’s been working on with him.
“He also has mentored Beasley – who was ticketed for marijuana possession in June and pushed a fan in the face during a streetball game in New York City in August – away from the court. Nixon has pushed Beasley to tighten the circle of people around him.
“You have seen Michael’s talent, I don’t think there’s a question about the talent,” Nixon said. “What most people don’t realize is he’s 22. He’s just a kid. When young guys come into the league at 18, 19, they’re more comfortable having people around them. I think as you mature and get older, you need to peel some of that entourage off. He’s getting to the stage now where he’s getting to be a leader on this team.”
I can only imagine what would have happened to me had somebody handed me a million dollars at 18 years old. If B-Easy gets it together by 22? That’s not all that bad really. It’s good to see a guy like Nixon stepping in and making a positive influence on a young person’s life too, no matter how rich that young person might be.
“I think when you have too many distractions off the court, you can’t lead the way you should. One of the things I’m trying to get him to do is be more focused and get that entourage smaller, so he can focus on what he needs to do to lead this team.”
Beasley said one step to becoming that leader is becoming more active in the community where he plays, and thus Friday night’s game.
“I feel like we need a leader,” Beasley said. “We’ve got a young talented group and all we need is the right coach and the right floor general…
“I want to be, I think I can be that guy.”
His recent exhibition game in Minnesota didn’t really pull in the big names he’d hoped would stop by, but is good to see him trying to do something in the community like that regardless. After his game on Friday, the slimmed down ballerina Beasley went down to OKC and balled to the tune of 56 points later that weekend in good friend Kevin Durant’s game. So here’s hoping Beasley gets it together, Minnesota could have some real potential if he does.
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Photo: Yardbarker
