3 Players Bucks’ MarJon Beauchamp must look to emulate as he develops
By Dalton Sell
No. 2 – O.G. Anunoby, Toronto Raptors
Every team in the league would love to have O.G. Anunoby on their team. There’s a reason there was a bidding war for the forward’s services at the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline. According to ESPN insider Zach Lowe (Subscription required), the Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies both offered three first round picks for Anunoby, but the Raptors still decided to keep him. He’s certainly one of the major players Beauchamp could learn from as he develops with the Bucks.
Anunoby’s primary appeal comes on the defensive end. He’s a 6-foot-7 forward who is among the most versatile defenders in the business. His defensive resume includes the Steals Champion title in 2022-23 and an All-Defensive selection this past season as well. Along with his savvy defense, Anunoby is also a strong offensive player, having averaged 16.6 points per game while shooting 38.2 percent from behind the arc over the past three seasons. He’s a legitimate two-way threat who is still getting better on both ends at just 25 years old.
If Beauchamp could take even a page out of Anunoby’s development book, it would be significant for the Bucks. The two do share some similarities, such as utilizing their lengthy frames to pester opponents on the defensive end while also being versatile in who they guard nightly. Offensively, Beauchamp is not near Anunoby, but he was not a scorer when he came into the league either, having averaged just 5.9 points during his rookie campaign in 2017-18. Beauchamp could learn a lot from trying to emulate the game of one of the NBA’s best two-way players.