Tim W. wrote:
It depends on what you mean by better. Is Beasley more TALENTED? Sure. Is he a better scorer? Definitely. Is he going to help a team more than Johnson? I highly doubt it. Beasley, at this point, is a one dimensional player who does not do what he is good at all that effectively at the moment. He's going to hurt you on the defensive end and hasn't really adjusted to the NBA, at this point, so is not an efficient scorer at all.
Johnson helps the team on both ends, hustles, rebounds and will improve a team's chances of winning simply by being on the court.
If Beasley fulfills his potential, he can be a 20+/8 player who can create mismatches on offensive and make highlight reels. He'll never be a good defender, though, and I, personally, place as much value on defense as I do on offense. Maybe more. If you have a player who hurts you on one end of the court, he better be damn good on the other end to make up for it. At this point, Beasley doesn't, which is why Miami has been trying to trade him.