The Miami Heat are sitting pretty at the top of the NBA totem pole after defeating the San Antonio Spurs for their second straight NBA title and with LeBron James still the best player in the league, the team has plenty to be excited about, but looking back on some of the draft picks over the years, it makes one wonder what the team could have looked like.
Mainly the 2008 draft when the Miami Heat had the number two pick behind the Chicago Bulls, who took Derrick Rose with the number one selection. Obviously Rose has blossomed into an MVP and one of the best players in the league and the Heat had the chance to get some talent with the number two pick, unfortunately they decided to go with Michael Beasley. While Beasley was looked at as a fantastic talent coming out of Kansas State as a freshman, he did not pan out for the Heat at all and he eventually was traded after going through substance abuse problems.
The reason this is being brought up again is because Beasley was arrested in Arizona this past week for marijuana possession, something he said was behind him when he signed with the team. The Miami Heat traded him to the Timberwolves in 2010 after things did not pan out so they could get some salary cap space and now that he has been arrested again, it's interesting to look at who the Heat could have selected in that draft and it's staggering. Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, O.J. Mayo, Roy Hibbert, Nikola Pekovic, Omer Asik and Eric Gordon all went later in the draft and the Miami Heat could have had any one of them.
Looking back it's easy to say what the Heat should have done, but it's amazing to think about what their roster would look like with one of those players in the fold, especially alongside LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Beasley came in seventh in rookie of the year voting when he was drafted after averaging 14 points, over five boards, and one assist, but clearly things did not pan out later on and now the Heat can look back with some amazement after winning two championships, so clearly they are not hurting, but it is fascinating to think about.
If the Heat had Love or Westbrook it may have altered the league dramatically and there is chance some of the players would not have panned out the way they did if they played in Miami. Love is an elite player in the league and Pekovic is on the verge of a huge extension while Westbrook is looked at as the best point guard. Gordon almost signed with the Suns two years ago and Asik has developed into one of the most consistent centers in the game. The Heat aren't hurting now, but that Beasley pick must be eating away at Pat Riley.
