Michael Beasley: "I think we [the Timberwolves] are the team to beat"

[blazers21ntnp]

B-Easy Prepares For Camp
Wolves editor/writer Jonah Ballow chats with Michael Beasley as training camp nears. B-Easy believes he is ready to accept a leadership role and shares his thoughts on the team to beat in the NBA this year.

Jonah Ballow: You have been in town a couple of week now getting ready for the season. Can you talk to us about what you have been doing with the team?

Michael Beasley: Mostly conditioning, you know, some vacation, we all take a nice little break. We are just trying to get into shape, trying to get into 50-minute shape instead of 48-minute. We are trying to run a lot this year and feed the league a little speed.

Jonah Ballow: Are you getting used to the city a little bit? I know you moved in town -- are you starting to get used to Minnesota?

Michael Beasley: Yeah, it's nice man. The fans are nice, it's a bit nippy at night but it's good. I live about 25 minutes out, so I have a nice scenic drive on the way home. I like it a lot more than I thought I would.

Jonah Ballow: Looking at training camp, which is coming up pretty soon, when you prepare for training camp what is the most important thing that you think needs to get accomplished during that week.

Michael Beasley: The most important thing I think is to end training camp on the same page. We have a lot of young guys and new faces; we just need to be as ready as we can be for the season. Everybody needs to be on the same page, everybody needs to be thinking the same thing, which is win, win, win, no matter how we get it done. We just have to go out and do it.

Jonah Ballow: You hear a lot of football players leading into training camp and preseason games, talk about that itch, they get that feeling. Are you starting to get that?

Michael Beasley: I got that itch. I have been having that itch since July 4th. It's just something in me, I got to win. I understand the record we had last year. I'm going to do and we are going to do as much as we can to change that.

Jonah Ballow: What specific parts of your game are you focused on this year?

Michael Beasley: Being a leader. I work on every aspect of my game everyday and night. But, I think I need to be more of a leader, you know we are such a young team. We don't really have a true veteran, 10-year-plus guy. Just being a leader, making sure everybody stays tight, being the energy guy, being the voice of the team, just make sure everybody works hard, stays tight, and has fun at the same time.

Jonah Ballow: You will be in Makato for the first time, how important is that to get some cohesion with this team? You get to stay with these guys for a week in Mankato, so you will get to build some relationships.

Michael Beasley: It's definitely important; we spend more time with each other than we do with our own families during the season. So, it's definitely good to get that chemistry to see how we live early on, we know what to be prepared for.

Jonah Ballow: We talked a little bit about the Miami Heat last time. I know you are putting them in your rearview mirror but what do you think about what they did with LeBron, Wade, Bosh, and putting those stars together?

Michael Beasley: I think that speaks to Pat Riley, you know exactly who he is. Pat Riley is a winner, winner, winner, that's pretty much all it is. They got three of the best guys in the NBA, they got the best role players in the NBA, you know they are trying to win championships and that's what Pat Riley is all about. It is unfortunate they had to get rid of me but like I said, Pat Riley wins at any cost and that's exactly what he did.

Jonah Ballow: Are they the team to beat? I mean, there is a team in LA with a couple of trophies but are they the team to beat?

Michael Beasley: Honestly, and I know a lot of people are not going to like that fact that I'm going to say this but I think we are the team to beat. You know, that's just me and my ego speaking. I think the Lakers are the defending champs two years in a row, I think the Lakers still hold that title. It's nice to see somebody try to fight back but as of now, the Lakers are still the team to beat.

Jonah Ballow: I like that, supporting the Wolves. We are going to have you on media day coverage for a live chat session with our fans and training camp, I will be down there for the full week in Mankato.

Michael Beasley: Live coverage? Questions and everything? Video, Skype type of thing?

Jonah Ballow: Oh yeah.

Michael Beasley: Oh, ya'll be ready, get to ya'll computers. I want a million viewers. We are going to kick the season off right with a million viewers.

Jonah Ballow: There he is, B-Easy right here on timberwolves.com

 

[blazers21ntnp]

B-Easy Prepares For Camp
Wolves editor/writer Jonah Ballow chats with Michael Beasley as training camp nears. B-Easy believes he is ready to accept a leadership role and shares his thoughts on the team to beat in the NBA this year.

Jonah Ballow: You have been in town a couple of week now getting ready for the season. Can you talk to us about what you have been doing with the team?

Michael Beasley: Mostly conditioning, you know, some vacation, we all take a nice little break. We are just trying to get into shape, trying to get into 50-minute shape instead of 48-minute. We are trying to run a lot this year and feed the league a little speed.

Jonah Ballow: Are you getting used to the city a little bit? I know you moved in town -- are you starting to get used to Minnesota?

Michael Beasley: Yeah, it's nice man. The fans are nice, it's a bit nippy at night but it's good. I live about 25 minutes out, so I have a nice scenic drive on the way home. I like it a lot more than I thought I would.

Jonah Ballow: Looking at training camp, which is coming up pretty soon, when you prepare for training camp what is the most important thing that you think needs to get accomplished during that week.

Michael Beasley: The most important thing I think is to end training camp on the same page. We have a lot of young guys and new faces; we just need to be as ready as we can be for the season. Everybody needs to be on the same page, everybody needs to be thinking the same thing, which is win, win, win, no matter how we get it done. We just have to go out and do it.

Jonah Ballow: You hear a lot of football players leading into training camp and preseason games, talk about that itch, they get that feeling. Are you starting to get that?

Michael Beasley: I got that itch. I have been having that itch since July 4th. It's just something in me, I got to win. I understand the record we had last year. I'm going to do and we are going to do as much as we can to change that.

Jonah Ballow: What specific parts of your game are you focused on this year?

Michael Beasley: Being a leader. I work on every aspect of my game everyday and night. But, I think I need to be more of a leader, you know we are such a young team. We don't really have a true veteran, 10-year-plus guy. Just being a leader, making sure everybody stays tight, being the energy guy, being the voice of the team, just make sure everybody works hard, stays tight, and has fun at the same time.

Jonah Ballow: You will be in Makato for the first time, how important is that to get some cohesion with this team? You get to stay with these guys for a week in Mankato, so you will get to build some relationships.

Michael Beasley: It's definitely important; we spend more time with each other than we do with our own families during the season. So, it's definitely good to get that chemistry to see how we live early on, we know what to be prepared for.

Jonah Ballow: We talked a little bit about the Miami Heat last time. I know you are putting them in your rearview mirror but what do you think about what they did with LeBron, Wade, Bosh, and putting those stars together?

Michael Beasley: I think that speaks to Pat Riley, you know exactly who he is. Pat Riley is a winner, winner, winner, that's pretty much all it is. They got three of the best guys in the NBA, they got the best role players in the NBA, you know they are trying to win championships and that's what Pat Riley is all about. It is unfortunate they had to get rid of me but like I said, Pat Riley wins at any cost and that's exactly what he did.

Jonah Ballow: Are they the team to beat? I mean, there is a team in LA with a couple of trophies but are they the team to beat?

Michael Beasley: Honestly, and I know a lot of people are not going to like that fact that I'm going to say this but I think we are the team to beat. You know, that's just me and my ego speaking. I think the Lakers are the defending champs two years in a row, I think the Lakers still hold that title. It's nice to see somebody try to fight back but as of now, the Lakers are still the team to beat.

Jonah Ballow: I like that, supporting the Wolves. We are going to have you on media day coverage for a live chat session with our fans and training camp, I will be down there for the full week in Mankato.

Michael Beasley: Live coverage? Questions and everything? Video, Skype type of thing?

Jonah Ballow: Oh yeah.

Michael Beasley: Oh, ya'll be ready, get to ya'll computers. I want a million viewers. We are going to kick the season off right with a million viewers.

Jonah Ballow: There he is, B-Easy right here on timberwolves.com

 

[durantula]

i thought he quit

 

[uter zorker]

Nothing wrong with saying that,

Timberwolves season win total OVER is a lock IMO just like the Thunder were last year (at something like 29.5

)

 

[durantula]

i thought he quit

 

[uter zorker]

Nothing wrong with saying that,

Timberwolves season win total OVER is a lock IMO just like the Thunder were last year (at something like 29.5

)

 

[bigmike23]

i see someone is still drinking and smoking heavy

 

[bigmike23]

i see someone is still drinking and smoking heavy

 

[pr0phecy718]

 

[pr0phecy718]

 

[brandon3000]

TWolves will be better than they were last year. that i'd put money on

 

[brandon3000]

TWolves will be better than they were last year. that i'd put money on

 

[johnnyredstorm]

First the T'Wolves are the team to beat, and then the Lakers are? Yeah, dude's still smoking.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

First the T'Wolves are the team to beat, and then the Lakers are? Yeah, dude's still smoking.

 

[jpzx]

It's really not a big deal... he covers himself by saying "you know that's just me and my ego speaking", meaning he knows it's far from logical. Really shouldn't be a big deal, but whatev.

The only things I really care about:

"I like it [in Minnesota] a lot more than I thought I would."

"To me the Lakers are still the team to beat."

There's some tape out there from 2008 when he was just coming into the league, saying basically he hates Minnesota and would never want to go there. That seems to be the general consensus throughout a lot of athletes and I don't blame em. The perception out there is that all we got is hills and farms up here.  Minneapolis and St. Paul where the team plays is one of the most modernized and up to date cities in America. Obviously Chicago, NY, LA, Miami etc. is more 

but it aint so bad. But to be honest, I get where everybody gets the idea that we are flyover country.  Once you come here though you'll realize that it's not so bad. Three months out of the year (Dec/Jan/Feb) it $#@%*% sucks though

 

[jpzx]

It's really not a big deal... he covers himself by saying "you know that's just me and my ego speaking", meaning he knows it's far from logical. Really shouldn't be a big deal, but whatev.

The only things I really care about:

"I like it [in Minnesota] a lot more than I thought I would."

"To me the Lakers are still the team to beat."

There's some tape out there from 2008 when he was just coming into the league, saying basically he hates Minnesota and would never want to go there. That seems to be the general consensus throughout a lot of athletes and I don't blame em. The perception out there is that all we got is hills and farms up here.  Minneapolis and St. Paul where the team plays is one of the most modernized and up to date cities in America. Obviously Chicago, NY, LA, Miami etc. is more 

but it aint so bad. But to be honest, I get where everybody gets the idea that we are flyover country.  Once you come here though you'll realize that it's not so bad. Three months out of the year (Dec/Jan/Feb) it $#@%*% sucks though

 

[seymore cake]

Still smoking that good I see

 

[seymore cake]

Still smoking that good I see

 

[you big dummy]

Does he think he's on the Lakers?

I thought David Kahn said he stopped smoking

 

[you big dummy]

Does he think he's on the Lakers?

I thought David Kahn said he stopped smoking

 

[dontsteponmyshoes]

 

[dontsteponmyshoes]

 

[carlos tevez]

Damn, wish I came across this thread earlier so I could drop the first line that came to my head when I read OP's title. Oh well, here goes nothing...

I thought Beasley said he quit smoking weed?

 

[carlos tevez]

Damn, wish I came across this thread earlier so I could drop the first line that came to my head when I read OP's title. Oh well, here goes nothing...

I thought Beasley said he quit smoking weed?

 

[xtapolapacetl]

I think he meant "the Timberwolves are the team to beat" as in "a punching bag is an object to punch".