Question about Beasley

[Grandmama]

While this whole issue is more or less moot due to our likely inability to move up and get him, I saw a post in another thread saying that while they thought Beasley would be successful in the NBA that dependence on him being better than Oak is still a gamble.

Now i understand that all rookies are potentially a gamble but my question is the following:

Does anyone really think that Beasley won't be great and why?

Up until the NCAA Tourney/CP3 MVP hunt Beasley was a lock at 1. He put up the best numbers by any freshman in NCAA history and if we were to believe that Durant had the best college year ever (at least statistically) in a major conference of the modern era the year before, Beasley put up better numbers in the same conference and has the better NBA body to play right now.

Now we hear questions about his height and how you can pass up on the next CP3/D-Will, but in all honesty who was the last elite (top 5) PG to win a championship Magic? Isiah? That was 20 years ago, Kidd hasn't won anything but the East a couple times, the Glove didn't win, Nash never made the finals (I guess you can make a case for Billups/Parker but i don't know if you would ever put parker in the top 5 and Billups has the most balanced team in the NBA around him besides maybe parker). Seriously lets look at the past 20 years: Spurs: Parker was the third banana every year except for last year; Pistons whole greater than the sum of the parts; Heat DWade (i guess he is Rose, but lets be honest the refs really gave this to the heat); Lakers: Kobe/D-Fish; Bulls: Pippen and Jordan were the PGs on those teams; Rockets: Kenny Smith or Rookie Sam Cassell...

I don't know it feels like I am taking crazy pills. I invented the Piano Key neck tie. I invented it!

Maybe CP3 or D-Will, or by God Felton change that in the next 5 years, but it seems to me that the media has made the collective judgment to fellate Rose and the elite pg position in general and it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy and they are beside themselves to anoint him has the end all be all in the NBA and Beasley is taking a back seat.

Whoa, sorry about that tangent, so back to my original point, does anyone actually think Beasley is not going to be an all NBA player within 3-4 years? And also to my other point: Am I off on dismissing the elite PG as completely essential to Championship teams.

Regardless, have a good holiday.

[Grandmama]

The obvious flaw in my rant is other than Duncan (he's really a C) what elite PF have lead their team to championships in the past 20 years.

I would argue none really.

[Keetch]

I can't quickly recall any PF's taking a team to a championship, but I can think of some that were the final piece....one from a looong time ago named Dave DeBusschere and more recently Rasheed Wallace in Detroit.

Karl Malone comes to mind as a proof of your point, and he even had Stockton. MJ ruined it for those two. Charles Barkley too.

I have no doubt that Beasley will be an NBA player right off the bat.

I think you're argument goes further with the recent speculation that Beasley could drop to the 3rd Pick. ESPN is saying that Miami is considering Mayo if Rose goes 1st. I guess they're looking for the game-maker, the franchise player that will bring rings? But I thought they had that with Wade? They may regret it if they pass up Beasley. I think Wade and Mayo are too alike, and Mayo will not in the end be an NBA PG. Just don't think so.

The only other thing I've heard, and I'm sorry I can't remember where, but there may a perception that Beasley isn't the easiest guy to work with. I have no idea. If the guys just a hardass, that may not be so bad. MJ was like that.

[Grandmama]

Just to play devil's advocate, you think Mayo would be a more amenable individual than Beasley? Mayo went to something 3 high schools, but maybe Beasley did too now that i think about it.

[Slam]

Beasley is going to be like Zach Randolph - if Zach Randolph was athletic and played D.

He is giong to be a stud.