Draft Day Approaches

In less than 48 hours, the Miami Heat will make a franchise-altering move in the NBA Draft. The overwhelming consensus with fans, experts, and the occasional "anonymous GM" is to take Michael Beasley at 2, and call it a night. Then start to wheel and deal with other pieces to fill in the gaps between Wade and Beas. But apparently every source ESPN has that's close to the Heat says we will be passing on Beasley (or trading him) to secure a PG. Mayo has been in the discussion for weeks, and Bayless has been mentioned in the latest reports. Also, that pesky anonymous source is giving info on Riley actually making the phone calls regarding trades, instead of just fielding offers. All this speculation and information can mean many different things. I'll try to give you a couple plausible reasons why these reports continue coming out.

A) Riley has lost it, and he is seriously considering passing Beasley to another team to end up with Mayo/Bayless. This, in my mind, is the most unlikely, but also the scariest if it happens to be true. Since the night of the lottery, Riley has tried to bury Beasley's draft stock 6ft under, and it seems like it will continue right up until we make a selection/trade. If Riley has been truthful in his comments, and he does in fact select Mayo at 2, or accept a horrible trade to drop down, it will indicate that Riley isn't the shrewd GM he's been in the past. I find this hard to believe as well, considering he was able to rectify this past offseason by dealing Shaq and his enormous contract for a versatile player and valuable trade chip. There is no way Riley could actually be thinking about just letting the best college prospect this decade slip through his fingers. And if he does, I'll be driving the Fire Riley Wagon down I95, so feel free to hop on.

B) ESPN is creating interest and thus boosting ratings for their draft coverage by publishing outlandish reports from unnamed sources. This is about as unlikely as Riley all the sudden losing his touch, but it's still a possibility. ESPN doesn't seem like they are in the business of sports news as much as they are in the business of ratings and money as of late. And this would go along with that. If ESPN wants to create intrigue and lure viewers Thursday night, what better way to do it than to open the door to a possible blockbuster deal in which any team in the NBA may jump into the 2nd spot and grab the top prospect? It's a smart move by the Network, if that is indeed what they are doing. On a side note, it could also come from some misinformation coming out of the Heat offices getting to the ESPN reporters, and they are in a mad dash to break the blockbuster news before anyone else. This is the same thing that happened at the Boston paper during the Spygate garbage. Ratings, and being the first network/writer to break the news, could drive ESPN to come up with some interesting trade scenario's involving the Draft.

C) Riley continues to put out false reports of his supposed interest in other prospects, or trading his pick, or other ways he can dump Beasley. This is the scenario I'm leaning to, if only because I've felt this way for a while, and I think any fan of the Heat knows that Riley isn't stupid, and lies and misdirection are just a part of the game he plays come draft time. Isaiah is dumb enough to pass on Beasley, McHale is probably dumb enough, Billy Knight is dumb enough, but not Riley. He built a championship team here before, and he came damn close in his first attempt as well, so I can't see that same man absolutely blowing the biggest moment for this franchise in a long time. I feel (and I've felt this way since lottery night) that Riley has wanted Beasley from day 1. When he began taking games off to scout prospects, he often went to see K-State play, to watch Beasley. He talked up both top prospects (Rose included) during the weeks leading up to the lottery, and then, after landing the 2nd pick instead of the 1st, immediately nuked Beasley's stock and did everything he could to launch Rose into the 1 spot. Whether his opinion had any affect on Chicago's impending decision, I have no idea, but it very well may have. The fact that he was so blatant in his statements suggests to me that it was a Parcellian misdirection ploy, and that he was trying his absolute hardest to make sure Beasley fell to us at number 2. All the trade talks will just enhance this smokescreen, making it seem that we would be willing to take just about anything to avoid taking MB.

I hope and pray that scenario C is the correct one, and that we will, when the smoke clears, select, sign, and suit Beasley up next season. Like I mentioned before, Riley will have to do some serious explaining to the fanbase should he pass on a possible Superstar. So keep an eye out for more reports, and check the Draft out tomorrow night. Just know that if, by Friday morning, Beasley is not a member of the Heat, that there may not be a new post coming up because I'll be checking into a mental hospital. Pat, don't fail us now.