NBA Draft: Who is Malik Beasley?

Florida State guard Malik Beasley was one of the surprises in the freshman class. His easy scoring method seems like a cinch for a good mid-first round pick

There was a time in the NBA when the territorial pick existed. This was a long, long time ago. When the league was still growing and needed the extra notoriety that would come with a local player and a familiar face to sell tickets.

Those days are long gone. Yet the pull is still there. Fans believe because a player played college nearby or grew up there must be some interest in returning home. See the Magic’s reported interest in Joakim Noah (Florida), Al Horford (Florida), Chandler Parsons (Florida, Lake Brantley), Austin Rivers (Winter Park) and Shane Larkin (Dr. Phillips). At least fans have interest in those players.

There are not many Florida connections in this draft. Those players that already have a local familiarity. Except for one.

Florida State’s Malik Beasley became the team’s top scorer as a freshman, leading the team to the NIT. He enters the NBA Draft as a strong scorer and someone who did so efficiently but maybe not the high upside of others or the ability to be a secondary player.

Beasley is incredibly interesting as a player. He is a natural scorer and an efficient one too. He has a decent 3-point stroke and was able to score consistently and efficiently at the college level. Those are all good signs of what he can be.

The question is whether it translates to the NBA game. Can he work well off the ball and keep his scoring effectiveness? Can he last through a NBA season and find a role where he does not have the ball?

These are common questions for high scorers coming out of college. Fit is critical to their success. There have to be some skills that transfer though. Something that a player can do at a NBA level whether it is a skill like shooting or some physical attribute like length or leaping ability.

This is where Beasley has the biggest question. Can his scoring translate? And if it cannot what skills does he possess? And if his skills do not translate then what physical attribute keeps his intrigue?

A pre-draft injury is not helping answer any of these questions. A player that had these issues already is going to fall a bit. But could become a steal if he pans out with the potential to be that quiet star if things fall the right way.

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