Malik Beasley is in the unenviable position of shuttling back and forth from the D-League to the NBA bench. His bench cheerleading in the NBA can certainly be worth the price of admission, but it’s his trips to the D-League that help remind Nuggets fans that he’s got talent on the hardwood too.
Last night Beasley donned a Sioux Falls Skyforce whatever-the-hell-color-that-is jersey to knock some rust off his game and stretch his legs a little. Beasley did what he always does: a little of everything on offense. He showed his drives to the basket, a quality floater-and-midrange game, and the nice form on his three-point shot on his way to 18 points in 21 minutes.
He also got to show off some of his passing skills, staying tuned up for those minutes in a Nuggets uniform that are coming his way soon. There’s a bounce-entry pass in the paint that’s pretty nice as well as a Jokic-style prayer to start a fast break. I’m not sure I want him throwing too many of those in the NBA, but it shows he’s paying attention in practice.
More Beasley is one of my hopes for Denver’s bench next year, but until then he’ll just have to continue preparing and biding his time. Check it out below!
