MarJon Beauchamp’s early returns are promising for the Milwaukee Bucks

When the Milwaukee Bucks took MarJon Beauchamp with the 24th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the appeal was clear from the get-go.

The Bucks are always in the hunt for more lengthy defenders, and after enduring a shortage of wing depth last season, they killed two birds with one stone by drafting Beauchamp. While the forward checked a lot of boxes for the Bucks, the question of whether or not the recently turned 22-year-old would be able to crack Milwaukee’s veteran-oriented rotation at all in his rookie season remained. Throughout the team’s first 15 games of the season, Beauchamp has indeed been able to earn some genuine minutes, and he has flashed signs of potential.

MarJon Beauchamp’s potential has been on display for the Milwaukee Bucks

With the Milwaukee Bucks missing a sizeable chunk of players to start the season due to injuries, they have given MarJon Beauchamp some genuine playing time. The rookie has started in six of his first 12 games, and he has certainly made a strong first impression early on.

As highlighted previously, the biggest draw with Beauchamp was always going to be his defense. The 6-foot-6 forward is lengthy and versatile, two characteristics that immediately made him an interesting player for Coach Mike Budenholzer to utilize in his lineups. Beauchamp has shown his share of flashes on the defensive end early, having shown that he can hold his own against some of the league’s top players. Coach Budenholzer has not been shy about letting the rookie match up against All-Stars such as Dejounte Murray or Donovan Mitchell for extended periods, displaying his faith in his newest defensive contributor.

Per NBA.com/stats, opposing players have shot 25-of-74 (33.8 percent) when being defended by Beauchamp in his first 12 contests. Among players who have appeared in at least ten games this season, none have held their opponents to a lower field goal percentage than Beauchamp. Given that he is a rookie, that is incredibly impressive by Beauchamp.

While Beauchamp has always been known for his defense, there were some questions about how he would hold up offensively at this level. Thus far, there have been some understandable growing pains. Through his first 12 games, the rookie has averaged 6.4 points while shooting 38.2 percent from the floor and 29.3 percent from three. Though his numbers are not the strongest, the rookie has shown confidence with the ball in his hands, especially from 3-point territory. That confidence should bode well for him as he looks to find his footing moving forward.

Despite some struggles, there have been a few games where Beauchamp’s production offensively has turned heads. On November 14th, Beauchamp tallied a career-high 20 points while hitting seven of his nine shots attempts, including three of four behind the 3-point line, in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Five days before that, Beauchamp tallied 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting in a double overtime win over the OKC Thunder. Beauchamp buried five 3-pointers in that matchup on just eight attempts. In a November 4 matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the 22-year-old tallied 14 points on 60 percent shooting.

The talent is there; Beauchamp just needs to continue putting the pieces together consistently on both ends.

MarJon Beauchamp needs to build off his solid start with the Milwaukee Bucks

It is clear to see that MarJon Beauchamp has been an impact player for the Milwaukee Bucks early. The energy he plays with on both ends of the floor makes him fun to watch and undoubtedly endears him to coaches and teammates. While his offense is still a work in progress, that was largely expected. The rookie should continue to get his shots as the season goes on, and hopefully they will start to fall more often. Defensively, the 22-year-old has fit in like a glove with the Bucks. His play on that end should undoubtedly get him on the floor more and more as the season goes on.

It will be interesting to see how Beauchamp’s playing time is altered when the Bucks start to get some of their key pieces back in the fold. Khris Middleton, Pat Connaughton, and Joe Ingles are all yet to hit the floor this season, but their time is coming. Beauchamp may not remain a starter for the entire season, but his playing time should continue to be consistent, given what he has shown throughout these first few games. That said, it does appear that Beauchamp has jumped Jordan Nwora in the rotation.

MarJon may have a ways to go on some bold predictions for his rookie season but down the line, he could become a pivotal piece for this Milwaukee Bucks basketball team.

Stay tuned to see if MarJon Beauchamp can build off this strong start for the Milwaukee Bucks.