Michael Beasley has agreed to a one-year deal with the Detroit Pistons according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The veteran forward was recently suspended for the first five games of the 2019-20 season for a violation of the league’s drug policy, but assuming he makes the roster, he will join the team after that.
The fit, it seems, was born out of last season’s struggles without Blake Griffin. Detroit scored a strong 109.8 points per 100 possessions when Griffin was on the floor last season, but that number fell to a miserable 102.9 when he was out. That difference was especially pronounced in the postseason, as Griffin was dealing with an injury. The Pistons were held to 96.8 points per 100 possessions in their four-game sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks.
In Beasley, the Pistons hope to have found a bit of insurance in case of future injury problems for Griffin. He can’t match Griffin as a passer, and his pure production trails far behind the All-Star’s, but functionally, Beasley can hold a similar role in Detroit’s offense. As a ball-handling forward with range on his jump shot, he thrived as the primary bench creator for the 2017-18 New York Knicks, averaging over 13 points per game in that capacity. The Pistons are expecting that version of Beasley, not the one that flamed out with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Beasley wasn’t the only addition that Detroit has made in order to boost its offense around Griffin. They also signed Derrick Rose, the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, to serve as a key cog in their reserve units. Beasley was the No. 2 pick in that same draft. The last team to have the top two picks in the same draft class was the Miami Heat in the 2007-08 season. They had Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning, the top two picks in the 1992 class, and for a brief period they employed No. 3 overall pick Christian Laettner as well. The No. 3 pick in 2008, O.J. Mayo, is currently playing in China’s second-tier league, so the Pistons could theoretically match that feat if they wanted to, but likely have no interest in doing so.
The Pistons returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 last season, but their greatest flaw was exposed to the world by a Bucks team that outclassed them in every way. In signing Beasley, the Pistons have taken a step towards correcting that issue this season.
