Any indications that Michael Beasley's current rehab stint could interfere with Heat training camp can be put to rest. According to Yahoo Sports, Beasley has been in daily contact with the team since entering a Houston rehab center last month and plans to be ready to join the team by the start of camp.
On Tuesday, Heat president Pat Riley spoke to the media about the star's situation for the first time and said he is "very confident" Beasley's off-the-court troubles will not interfere with his ability to turn in a strong season for Miami in 2009-10.
"I was told this by somebody: Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future," Riley told the Web site. "You can't put yourself above and beyond anybody. We all have periods where things haven't gone our way for whatever reason, and we've all had an opportunity to grow. Because of what's happened in the past, we hope there's growth spurts for him."
In his rookie season with the Heat, the 20-year-old averaged 13.9 points and 5.4 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per game. Miami selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 draft.
Riley declined to specifically indicate what kind of treatment Beasley is receiving in Houston, and while he did say that he is not giving Beasley a free pass for his alleged transgressions, he insisted that the young player has his full support.
"I'm not going to forgive anybody's transgressions just merely because they're 20 years old," Riley said. "I think when you become a professional basketball player, a lot of things come at you a lot quicker than normal. There's a lot of things you may be able to handle or not handle.
"He could be a major factor for our team. I'm going to continue to show that kind of belief and faith in him."
