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By Taylor C. Snow | @taylorcsnow
Malik Beasley was one of the top offensive freshmen in the ACC this past season, finishing third among conference freshmen in scoring, first in field goal percentage and first in free throw percentage. The guard had incredible scoring consistency, starting off his career by scoring in double-figures during 24 straight games, which was two away from Stephon Marbury’s ACC freshman record of 26.
By Marc D’Amico | @Marc_DAmico
Possessions Scouted from 2015-16 Season: OFFENSE: 21.4 percent of possessions DEFENSE: 24.0 percent of possessions
There’s a lot to like about Malik Beasley, who reminds me a lot of Courtney Lee, both from a physical stature standpoint and from a tools standpoint. He’s an explosive leaper with fantastic shooting mechanics. He is always square to the basket and has a smooth shooting motion and release. He’s even square while taking trail 3s off of full sprints. I love how quickly he makes decisions, either to pass or to shoot, and he has a very quick release. He shows fantastic body control on drives and absorbs contact well but is not yet a great finisher, although I believe he can become one. One thing I don’t see is great quickness off the dribble. His hands also worry me a bit, as he bobbles a lot of balls. He has a strong midrange game and is a better spot-up shooter than he is off the dribble, although he’s still good off the move. He’s a good passer and sees passing lanes. Most of his turnovers are off of drives and defensive digs. Defensively, he’s a project. He quits early and doesn’t finish plays. He ball watches. He gets caught too deep in unnecessary help position rather than worrying about his own man. He lacks instincts. He’s too vertical in his stance. He gets bounced around like a pinball off of screens. He’s very inconsistent with positioning, effort and lateral quickness. The one positive is that he does recover well when giving effort, and he actually blocks some occasional shots off of effort and hard close-outs. Still, he has a very long way to go at that end of the floor.
By Taylor C. Snow | @taylorcsnow
Malik Beasley was born on Nov. 26, 1996 to Michael and Deena Beasley. His father played professional basketball in Chili, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Beasley played high school ball at Saint Francis School in Alpharetta, Ga. As a senior, he averaged 22.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per game and earned Georgia Class 1A Player of the Year honors. He guided the squad to a state championship, tallying 24 points and 11 boards in the title game. He also participated in the Jordan Brand Classic and notched 16 points, three assists, three rebounds and two steals, leading the West Team to a 118-116 win. Beasley then attended Florida State University for one season and averaged 15.6 PPG and 5.3 RPG. He scored at least 21 points in each of his first three collegiate contests, becoming the first player in Seminole history to do so. He reached double figures in scoring 24 straight times to start off his career, which was two games away from Stephon Marbury’s ACC record of 26 consecutive contests. Beasley ranked first among all ACC freshmen in field goal percentage (47.1 percent) and first in free throw percentage (81.3 percent). He tallied two double-doubles on the season, which came in back-to-back games in mid-December against Mississippi State (17 points, 10 rebounds) and FAU (11 points, 10 rebounds). Beasley led FSU to the NIT and recorded 21 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals during its first-round win over Davidson. At season’s end, he earned Kyle Macy Freshman All-American honors and was named to the All-ACC Freshman team. Beasley declared for the NBA Draft on March 21.
