Michael Beasley will always be a scorer, and the Knicks are finally using him right

What did Madison Square Garden mean when it chanted ‘MVP’ in unison while Michael Beasley stood at the free-throw line? Do you think it was just acknowledging that this is a man who was given the 2016 Chinese Basketball Association Most Valuable Player award? I believe it was more sincere — Michael Beasley is the best basketball player this season, the Garden was saying, and he should be acknowledged as such.

When did Beasley become that? It’s a good question, but there’s fortunately an answer. It probably happened on Thursday night, moments after being asked when Beasley realized he had the hot hand and when Beasley replied with his birthday:

Yes, absolutely, congratulations to the Knicks. Beasley can win the MVP now.

To take a turn toward seriousness, Beasley has quickly become a vital piece for the Knicks off the bench. Tuesday’s 32-point outing was a season high, but after averaging 7.1 points in the first two months combined while playing irregularly, Beasley has dominated this month. In December, Beasley is averaging 15.4 points on 51 percent shooting in just 22 minutes per game.

This isn’t a radical change — he has always been a microwave scorer. The former No. 2 overall pick averaged more than 19 points in his third season, but the modern league swept past him, leading to his Chinese pilgrimages. For two seasons, though, Beasley would still come back and light it up for a team around March. After his 2016 CBA MVP, Beasley joined the Rockets and attempted 19 field goals in 15 minutes during his debut.

So Beasley isn’t a full-time starter, and he might not even be a guaranteed rotation player. Once this scoring stretch fades, Beasley will likely see a DNP-CD or two on the New York bench. It doesn’t mean that he isn’t incredibly valuable for the team to have off the bench, though. On a night like this, where Kristaps Porzingis scored a single point on 0-of-11 shooting, the Knicks need to rely on a scorer. Who better than Beasley, who scored his season-high 32 on 13-of-20 shooting along with 12 rebounds.

Beasley has been more efficient the past three seasons, likely due to his reduced role, than when he came into the league. But the scoring has always been there, of course — in his worst season, Beasley still averaged more than 15 points per game per 36 minutes. New York is riding the Beasley wave as long as it lasts and sure as hell enjoying it, too. It’s nice that the Knicks can put him back on the shelf whenever the wave finally dies on the beach, waiting for the next time.

After all, the Knicks are looking more and more like an actual playoff team this season. They currently sit eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 17-14 record, and while there will be serious competition for the final couple of spots, the Knicks seem as good a guess as any.

Beasley is a valuable player to have on any team. His playing style isn’t ever going to change, and he’s certainly not a building block for anything going into the future. But Beasley just won the Knicks a basketball game against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and that’s exactly what he’s good for every once in a while.