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FSU Basketball alums prepare for playoff run toward NBA title

By Jason Parker

DENVER, COLORADO - FEBRUARY 11: Malik Beasley #25 of the Denver Nuggets puts up a three point shot against the Miami Heat in the fourth quarter at the Pepsi Center on February 11, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - FEBRUARY 11: Malik Beasley #25 of the Denver Nuggets puts up a three point shot against the Miami Heat in the fourth quarter at the Pepsi Center on February 11, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
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FSU basketball fans will have a rooting interest in two teams that have former Seminoles playing key roles in their journey toward a NBA championship.

While fans of the Florida State Seminoles football team have been used to seeing former players hoisting the Lombardi Trophy as the winner of the Super Bowl plenty of times before, the FSU basketball family has not been so lucky as only a handful of former Noles have bought home the Larry O’Brien trophy as the champs of the NBA.

While Dave Cowens and Sam Cassell brought home multiple titles during their career, others have come up empty when they had a chance to play in the NBA Finals – including Charlie Ward, who came up short during his one finals appearance with the New York Knicks.

This postseason, two former FSU basketball players will get a chance to add their name to the select list of former Noles who won the title as the 2019 playoffs begin – with Malik Beasley looking to lead the Denver Nuggets to the title while Jonathan Isaac and the Orlando Magic look to ride the upset train to a championship.

This season, Beasley has become one of the stars off the bench in the Mile High City and lived up to his top 20 draft pick in 2016 – as he has averaged over 11 points a game this season that included 25 points in the next to last game of the season against Utah.

Beasley has averaged shooting just under 48 percent from the field this season, but right at 40 percent from the three point line. Denver will start the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and takes on the San Antonio Spurs in the first round starting Saturday night.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference has the group for teams that all think they have a shot at making it to the finals – and the Orlando Magic, coming in as the No. 7 seed, know they have an uphill battle and they need Isaac in the lineup if they want to win their first round series against the Toronto Raptors.

After being injury prone much of his first season, Isaac has bounced back to average just under 10 points and over five rebounds a game this season – as the former FSU basketball star went from playing in 27 games last year to 75 games this season.

Now, Isaac didn’t know if he will be able to play in Saturday’s opener of the series with Toronto as he had been going through the concussion protocol following an injury during the final weekend of the regular season – but was given the all clear Thursday and will be in the lineup for Game One.

If it happens that Beasley and Isaac lead their teams to the NBA Finals, it would be the third time there for the Magic (losing in 1995 and 2009) while the Nuggets have never been to the championship round for professional basketball.

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