‘Walking bucket’ Michael Beasley has impressed Lakers with his readiness despite missing a month

On the night of his 30th birthday, Michael Beasley had his best game of his young career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

In 18 minutes off of the bench against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, Beasley scored 19 points on an efficient 9-13 shooting from the field. His 19 points led all scorers not named Kyle Kuzma, who exploded for a career-high 41 points in three quarters.

Following the Lakers’ blowout win, JaVale McGee praised Beasley for being as productive as he’s been since rejoining the team on Friday.

“I call Michael Beasley a walking bucket,” McGee said. “All he needs is some dishwater and a mop. The way he went out there on his birthday and did his thing was amazing.”

“We were missing him,” McGee added. “We needed him. We were down bodies and we’ve always known what Mike can do. Playing time was low for him originally but he stayed ready... I don’t know what he was doing back home, if he was still working out, but he was gone for at least a month and came back and played right away, and actually played really well and it seemed like was in pretty good shape. So that’s just a testament to how much of a professional he was.”

In the four games Beasley has been back, he’s scored in double figures three times. On the season, he’s scored in double figures just four times.

However, arguably even more impressive than his scoring was his passing. Beasley ended the night with four assists, including a pair of dimes to Ivica Zubac.

Zubac said he knew he’d get a few easy baskets playing with Beasley, who he said he’s developed a nice chemistry with at practice.

“In almost every practice we’re on the same unit, so he always tells me that ‘if you’re on the floor, I’m gonna get you easy buckets, and you’re going to get me assists,” Zubac said. “So that’s what happens every time we’re on the floor together, we know how to play together. I played off of him and he’s a smart player. He’s talented and he can score in a bunch of ways. When they take that away from him, that’s easy drop-offs for me.”

Beasley was just as appreciative of his teammates, but for a different reason. After his breakout game, Beasley thanked his teammates for supporting him through what has been a rough couple of weeks for him and his family.

“It means everything,” Beasley said. “I love these guys. They make life a lot easier.”

With how well Beasley has been playing as of late, expect him to see his playing time slowly increase even when LeBron James makes his return.

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