The Summer League stink hasn’t washed out yet, apparently
Oh MarJon.
MarJon, MarJon, MarJon.
What are we going to do with you?
I took on the role of writing MarJon’s RTR piece because I wanted the challenge of evaluating our favorite third-year goofball NBA player. Never lacking for confidence on his Instagram page, the image he projects out to the world often struggles to match the young guy we see on the court — if we see him on the court at all, that is.
Year two for Beauchamp was one of relative stasis and therefore ultimately a decided step backwards. His raw counting stats dropped alongside a dip in appearances and minutes (52 games played with 11 as a starter when he was a rookie down to 48 games played and a single emergency start in his second season). On the plus side, the shooting averages saw ticks up from the floor overall and from three, settling him at .488/.400/.679.
Advanced stats didn’t see much progress or regression, either, and an optimist would applaud him for following the better angels of his nature to the tune of a slight reduction in usage rate (14.6%). He represented a -4.2 swing in net rating when he took the floor which is also an improvement from the -12.5 change he was as a rookie, I guess?
More concerning than the stalling out in production, though, was the continued absence of any sign that he can be a consistent capable NBA-level defender. I fondly recall his very first appearance in a Bucks uniform against the Brooklyn Nets in the 2022’s Summer League. Almost a complete unknown, he’d end the night with 16 points, 3 rebounds, a steal, a block, and an assist. Nothing flashy, but productivity and even a handful of moments where he looked to have real potential as a wing defender. Then it just… never happened again, really? Whether it is a question of motor or getting too overwhelmed at the next level to think a step ahead of his assignment, Beauchamp has been slightly-below-replacement-level at best as a pro on that end. What was supposed to be his money maker hasn’t found a footing where it matters most.
But okay, he’s a defense-first prospect in theory who hasn’t done much on defense. Is there room for hope on the other end of the floor? Uh…
Let us be clear about one thing in particular: MarJon will not be making a sustainable career for himself on the offensive end of the floor. In the summer of 2023 he had made a big deal of how he was growing as a scorer (all three levels, confidence was ca-ra-zy, all that drivel) — at 2024’s Summer League he took it one step further and tried to make that theory a reality against exhibition competition. He failed.
A best-case scenario for him on offense looks like a ton of spot-up threes with the occasional drive into the lane to mix things up a little. Anything more than that is quite clearly beyond his capability right now. To his credit, he hasn’t had the courage to try out his Summer League spotlight routine in actual NBA games yet. The big expectations built up off the court routinely shrink into quiet conformity when he takes the floor with any veterans. Oddly enough, that is a good thing and it will do him well to continue refining an off-ball role where he can actually help win games by scoring occasionally.
While MarJon has failed to impress me even a little bit, I do still think he has physical tools that can keep his foot in the door of a NBA career. He should not ask too much of himself on offense and needs to light a fire guarding his primary assignment and showing some flexibility to guard up or down a little as needed. The pieces of the puzzle are all there. With veterans on the floor there are highly specific lanes open to a guy like MarJon — youth, athleticism, and energy are traits the rotation will demand over 82 games.
If he doesn’t break through this go-around we’ll be entering serious career on the brink territory for the former 24th overall pick. Not exactly where we thought he’d be as he began his third season a professional, is it?
Godspeed, MarJon. You’ll need it.
And after that downcast projection, I ask you what role you envision for MarJon in the Bucks playoff rotation:
Next, you choose who takes the next boat off the island (including some of the new FA acquisitions!):
Polls close at 8 AM (Central) tomorrow, Sept. 17th!