MarJon Beauchamp is an athletically gifted and defensive minded wing. His best skill is his ability to guard guys on the perimeter and check them with his physical approach to defense. He also has some juice offensively though — he mainly scored through off the ball cutting, and rebounds during the Ignite season. That’s what he’s ultimately pitched as most of the time, and I can’t blame people. However, he showed more juice off the dribble at the junior college level. He’s an exciting prospect, and fits what the Nuggets need.
MarJon Beauchamp, Wing, G-League Ignite
Vitals
Height (w/ shoes): 6 feet 6 and a half inches
Wingspan: 7 feet 3⁄4 inches
Weight: 196.6 lbs
Age: 21.7 years old (10/12/2000)
One aspect of MarJon Beauchamp’s defense is the fact that he is able to use his long wingspan to prevent drives and get steals and blocks at the next level. His natural athleticism and frame make him a menace in the open floor on both sides of the ball. He is a high flying athlete and had many dunks this past season with the G-League ignite.
G League Ignite Season Stats
| Team | G | GS | MP | PTS | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IGN | 24 | 23 | 34.6 | 15.1 | 6.2 | 12 | 0.512 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 0.273 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 0.718 | 1.6 | 4.9 | 6.5 | 2 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 2.3 |
Strengths
Athleticism
MarJon Beauchamp, as mentioned before, is a very good athlete. He is a quick runner, has good movement skills, and is an explosive leaper. Given these attributes and his menacing frame — it’s no mystery why he’s a good defender right now, and has potential to be a great one. He gets out in transition and runs the floor well. Fast breaks end in Beauchamp dunks all the time, because he’s just on another level athletically from his competition at times.
He approaches the game in a very physical way. He bumps guys on offense to create space. He’s good at finishing through contact and in general makes himself felt in the paint. He shot 65.6% within 5 feet of the rim for the Ignite and his finishing will translate to the league. He floats in the air, giving him time to make acrobatic finishes and has the power to dunk on guys. The man’s athleticism is special.
Examples
Defense
MarJon Beauchamp has the athleticism and tools, yes. But he also has a good feel for the game defensively and knows how to keep his man from scoring. He squares up well and uses his chest to absorb contact well, not moving when bumped. He uses his length to jump passing lanes sometimes, turning defense to offense.
His lateral quickness keeps him in front of his man. He’s hard to get by due to all of this. He’s fantastic in isolation and one on one possessions. Sometimes he can have lapses off-ball, but 99% of young players do. With his athleticism, feel, and physical tools he a good shot at being a good defender at the next level. Off the bat he’d be a good point of attack option for the Nuggets.
Examples
Off-Ball Scoring
MarJon Beauchamp scored the majority of his points at Ignite off of assists. Whether it be from back door cuts, lobs, or generally just being in the right place at the right time — he knows how to score without the ball in his hands. He finds cracks in the defense and has a good rhythm to his cutting. He also likes to crash the offensive glass, sometimes having nice putback dunks. He has a high motor offensively and would work great marvelously to Nikola Jokic.
Examples
Improvement Areas
Shooting
The most common criticism of MarJon Beauchamp’s game is that he is a non-shooter. If you only looked at his Ignite percentages, it may well seem that way. However, I don’t think he is as bad as his percentages would say. He shot 30.3% on 3s in the last 12 games for the Ignite, and 39.8% from 3 at the JuCo level. There’s a lot going on with his jumpshot, and I think he can use some simplifying the process.
Another positive is that he shot 46.7% from the midrange in the last 12 games as well. He has some potential as an off the dribble threat from the midrange and if he can be a league average shooter eventually that would be a great development for him. Coming into the league I see him shooting about 30-32% from beyond the arc in his rookie season.
Examples
Expected Outcome
Projected Draft Range: Mid teens to mid twenties, but you could bet on him being a top 10 pick at +2500 odds.
Denver Stiffs Big Board: 16th overall
Verdict
MarJon Beauchamp is near the top of my picks for the Nuggets. There are areas where he can improve, notably his shooting and playmaking, but the areas where he excels are the areas the Nuggets have the most needs. Athletic defenders and play finishers. He would thrive in the Nuggets’ system and long term projects well as a fit at the shooting guard for the Nuggets. If I was a fan I would be happy walking away with MarJon at 21, knowing that the front office addressed needs from last season and still got someone with lots of potential.
