The Denver Nuggets are one of the younger teams in the NBA. Their roster is filled to the brim with young, up-and-coming talent the organization hopes will one day lead the franchise to a golden era.
One of the more overlooked players of the bunch is 20-year-old guard Malik Beasley.
The Nuggets selected Beasley with the 19th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. His rookie season did not entail much regarding performance on the court due to Denver’s logjam of talent.
Beasley spent most of his rookie season on the bench, absorbing as much as he could to further to his craft. He also bounced around between the NBA and the D-league (now the G-league) and compiled an impressive highlight reel while playing for the Sioux Falls Sky Force.
Bouncing around between leagues was certainly an experience for Beasley, but one he thinks made him a better player.
“It put me through some diversity, see how tough I was,” Beasley told Aniello Piro of The Morning Blitz at Nuggets Training Camp. “I’m glad I did that and now I’m even better today because knowing that everything happens for a reason, I’ll be fine no matter what.”
In his limited opportunities at the NBA level, Beasley showcased his explosive play, which will hopefully carry him throughout his career in the league. Beasley averaged 18.1 points, 2.4 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per 36 minutes last season.
Now with a year under his belt, Beasley should see a somewhat increased role for the 2017 season. With fellow sophomore Jamal Murray being the front-runner to win the Nuggets starting point guard job, Beasley could establish a contributing role coming off the bench this year.
Listen toSorry – this audio content is no longer available., including his thoughts on living in the Mile High City and his role this coming season, in the podcast below.
Sorry – this audio content is no longer available.
Catch Ronnie K and Aniello Piro on The Morning Blitz every Sunday morning from 8a-10a on Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7 or stream live any time for the best local coverage of Colorado sports from Denver’s biggest sports talk lineup.
