Login

Register | Forgot Your Password? | Close
AP: dfad01b5-2edd-462f-9f0b-6cfbe9e7b7b1
Phoenix Suns' Michael Beasley (0) drives past Los Angeles Lakers' Earl Clark during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, in Phoenix. The Suns won 92-86. (AP Photo/Matt York)
PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns saw a key player make his return Wednesday as they hosted the Los Angeles Lakers, and it's a good thing Michael Beasley showed up.

Oh sure, that Steve Nash guy was also at the US Airways Center, but whatever. The story Wednesday night was the fifth-year pro, who had his finest moment in purple and orange.

And perhaps it was just a prelude of what's to come.

"Michael Beasley was incredible tonight," Suns interim head coach Lindsey Hunter said after the 92-86 win. "He's been really working hard to get to this point, and I really see promise in his future."

Beasley finished the night with 27 points, six rebounds and five steals, providing not only a spark, but the go-to presence the Suns have so desperately craved over the last three seasons.

Of the 27 he scored on the night, 10 came in the fourth quarter. He made five-of-six shots in the final period.

"I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing," Beasley said of his fourth quarter success. "I'm just going to be aggressive, I'm going to play hard.

"Whether the shots fall or not I'm still going to take them."

"He was aggressive, he didn't think much," point guard Goran Dragic said of Beasley. "When he was alone he didn't pump fake, he would just shoot the ball."

Dragic said Beasley was "in the zone", and that much would appear to be true. It is a rare sight for anyone wearing purple and orange -- or black -- but one that needed to be seen.

That's not to say Beasley plans on taking all the shots, as he said it all depends on what the team needs him to do. However, haven't seen Phoenix's fourth quarter struggles, it's become obvious they need him to look to score.

He won't be great every night, but when he is the Suns are a pretty good team.

Hunter knows that -- everyone knows that -- and it's why no matter how frustrating the concept may be, it's probably worth the franchise's time to really work with the 24-year-old in hopes of seeing increased production.

"I'm really positive with him, I encourage him, and I think Mike is a unique kid," Hunter said. "He's a people pleaser, he wants to please you, he wants to do the right thing.

"I think from an organization standpoint we've done everything to put him in position to succeed, and he's embraced it, and that's been great to see."

The 17,184 fans in attendance Wednesday, or at least a good many of them, would agree.

Adam Green, Web Content Editor - ArizonaSports.com

9 Comments   |   Join the conversation »
  • Add A Comment 
  • Abuse
    mesa mad man wrote...
    Last Night
    Last night they lived up to what everyone thought they could be - a mediocre team who at times would be lost and at times could look brilliant. Obviously a lot of that was the emotion in the air caused by Nash's return. Nonetheless, it was good to see them beat the lakers and hopefully disrupt their newfound "winning ways". Gotta keep them out of the playoffs!
  • Abuse
    johnnyb588 wrote...
    Where have all the haters gone?
    Where is everyone berating the FO for making all the wrong calls? Where is the Majerle camp who (for reasons unknown to me) thought he deserved the job? Where are all the people claiming Turner should have got the job based solely on his length of tenure as an NBA assistant? Where is everyone calling Beasley a bum? Come on, it's not Phoenix sports without some unreasonable, fairweather whining.
  • Abuse
    movingaz wrote...
    Beasley
    I have to admit, Beasley played well and I was one who thought he was terrible. In fact he was terrible earlier in the year. As far as who the coach is, I could care less. The talent on the floor wins the games.
  • Abuse
    Joe R. wrote...
    Great win, FO still sucks
    Hey there johnnyb Happy w/Hunter. I despise our FO,I dont like Beasly. You make it sound like you believe this team has arrived. We got a nice win and Beasley had a good game, it only took 46 games...Lindsey Hunter is an inferior COACH but a much better PUPPETr. The only thing we taught Beasley is that ok to choose when and who he will give 100% effort for. This team is still rudderless with no compass.
  • Abuse
    BirdmanKickedYourAZ wrote...
    Beasley is a bum
    Why couldn't he give this effort to gentry? Hunter has not done anything magical to make this team play better. Great win. Now go lose the rest so we can get McLemore.
  • Abuse
    Shportz wrote...
    Awesome
    As a consistently enthusiastic proponent of the Beasley trade, I feel pretty vindicated. Hes shooting 50% from 3 the last 7 games. About 47% from the field. I love Michael Beasley. Been anticipating this moment for the entire season. Now, as a proponent of the Kendall Marshall draft selection, I can't wait for that vindication either. Hopefully that will come soon. For now, the BS remains alive
  • Abuse
    Patrick Peterson's Talent wrote...
    @ Joe R
    Thanks for putting johnnyb588 in his place. I agree completely.
  • Abuse
    johnnyb588 wrote...
    In my place?
    How so? By providing no facts, only conjecture? I don't think this team has arrived either, but it's pathetic that Phoenix fans think they know so much better than the FO that Hunter shouldn't have been the interim coach. On what basis? What logical explanation do they have? What inside knowledge do they have? Also, I don't think Beasley has arrived, but his contract is often viewed negatively by fans and Gambo, but it's only two years guaranteed for $6M per, the third year is optional. It's not like the Suns took a second mortgage to get the guy.
  • Abuse
    johnnyb588 wrote...
    Continued
    Lindsey a puppet? How so? Lindsey is dishing out minutes at roughly the same rate as Gentry (a little more Beasley, a little less Shannon), but he shifted up the offense a little bit (a little more PnR, a lot more high post action). Who is his puppeteer? If it's the people who fired Gentry, then they should be firing Hunter any day, because Hunter didn't make many radical changes to the rotation. You haters have no solid ground to stand on. You just want something to be angry about.
Standings
Schedule
Team Leaders
close

Share: