``If he's commenting on suicide on Twitter, he may not want to kill himself or anything, but it really could be a cry for help,'' said Palm Beach-based sports psychologist Dr. John F. Murray, who was familiar with Beasley's ordeal. ``Drug use just may be another way to cope with the pressure.''

Beasley's behavior and maturity level have been questioned since he bounced around to at least five high schools. He entered the NBA after one breakout season at Kansas State, where he was a consensus All-American.

``You can never predict that a player would get to this point,'' ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas said. ``All you can do is hope he finds his way back because he has his entire career in front of him.''

Beasley averaged 13.9 points and 5.4 rebounds during his first pro season and earned NBA All-Rookie first-team honors. Heat president Pat Riley had hoped to see Beasley compete for the starting small forward job after he spent last season as a reserve power forward.

Teammates, including guard Dwyane Wade, had been critical at times of Beasley's antics. But some also spoke this summer of how he was taking a more professional approach.

``At the same time, I'm 20 and you can't expect me to be 30,'' Beasley said in a June interview. ``I'm going to make mistakes, do dumb stuff and learn. How mature you want me to be?''

Shingler, who spoke Sunday with Beasley from Houston, said the focus was on the tasks he has been assigned and getting back to basketball.

``This whole situation was supposed to be super G-14 classified,'' Shingler said. ``He knows he's got work to do. He's a 20-year-old guy growing up in the NBA, with money and fame. It's not easy. But all of this stuff that you hear isn't what it seems.''

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