2022 NBA Draft Profile: MarJon Beauchamp
A do-it-all wing who’s had a circuitous route to the NBA Draft, is there more to MarJon Beauchamp’s game than meets the eye from his one G League Ignite season?
Position: F, G League Ignite
Age: 21
Height: 6 ft 7 in
Wingspan: 7 ft 1 in
Weight: 197 lbs
The Sales Pitch: MarJon was a smooth operating, 3-point shooting, ball handling shooting guard in high school, playing with Michael Porter Jr. and against the likes of Jalen Green. His next few years were tumultuous, as he passed on college and the Green-led G League Ignite to partake in a training program, which was then cut short by the pandemic, leaving him adrift and forced to play for Yakima Community College for a season. He redoubled his efforts, predictably dominated at Yakima and joined the Ignite a year later – now a taller, stronger, more explosive wing who fantastically fulfilled the role of athletic, hyper-efficient, high motor, switchable slasher. The pitch is this: he has both of these skillsets in his DNA as he enters the NBA. He has the defensive chops, high motor, elite finishing, explosive athleticism, and long wingspan that he showed in the G League, but beneath the surface, the smooth-operating pick-and-roll operator and shooter is still there. Whoever drafts him has a chance to meld the two into a truly versatile impact wing.
Elite Traits/Skills: Motor on both ends
The Devil’s Advocate Argument: You can project him to recapture some of the good (it wasn’t great) shooting of years past, but fact is he is an energy wing right now. It’s hard to pencil in an energy wing to start without really elite defense or really elite shooting, and he has neither — and is already 21. Finishing, running transition lanes, and keeping the ball moving is all wonderful, but if it’s not paired with very impactful shooting or defense, it’s not something you spend a lotto pick on.
The Misconceptions: He can’t shoot because he shot 24% on about 50 attempted threes in the G League. Fifty 3PA ain’t much. It’s a bit more complicated, but he’s far from a non-shooter. He’s been a good shooter until this Ignite season, and will likely be a fine shooter in the league.
Important Numbers:
15/6/2: His points, rebounds, and assists per game on the Ignite
53/28/68: His Ignite slash line
64%: His true shooting percentage
65%: His FG% near the rim
48%: His FG% on all midrange shots (46 FGA)
58%: His FG% on midrange jumpers (34 FGA)
101: How many transition points he scored in a little over 20 games with the Ignite
41/103: What he shot from three at Yakima Community College
Knicks Fit: They say you can never have too many versatile wings. Like Cam Reddish, he has – in theory – the size and defensive chops to contain many players, and the mix of shooting and ball handling and athleticism to score in a variety of ways. Like Cam, he is still a little theoretical though. Are they redundant? You tell us.
