In 2022, the Milwaukee Bucks made their first pick in the first round of the NBA Draft since 2018, having selected MarJon Beauchamp of the G-League Ignite.
It was a good pick for the wing-needy Bucks, but the youngster had a tough time carving out a role for himself under the previous coaching regime. Well, now the Bucks have a coach in Adrian Griffin who is known as a savant when it comes to player development. Griffin’s skills will be put to the test as he looks to unearth some of MarJon Beauchamp’s untapped potential.
MarJon Beauchamp is the Milwaukee Bucks’ biggest X-factor in 2023-24
Look at current contenders. Though they are propelled by veterans, most of them have a young player on the roster who is a key contributor. The Miami Heat have Tyler Herro. The Los Angeles Lakers have Austin Reaves. The Philadelphia 76ers have Tyrese Maxey. The Denver Nuggets have Christian Braun. The Milwaukee Bucks don’t have that player.
To be clear, having a young player in the rotation is not the key to winning a title. However, it can certainly help, especially for a team like the Bucks, who were the oldest unit in the association in 2022-23. Rather than relying solely on experienced veterans, the Bucks need to infuse a dose of youth, athleticism, and energy into the lineup, which these other teams get from their youth.
Christian Braun of Denver is an excellent example of this. The rookie’s minutes were hit or miss in the Nuggets’ playoff run this past season, but whenever he played, he often made an impact, even if he didn’t stuff the stat sheet. He was constantly hustling, making plays defensively, and doing all of the little things. Not to mention that he fearlessly dropped 15 points in an NBA Finals game.
Beauchamp has everything that it takes to make an impact. First and foremost, he’s a 6-foot-6 wing who can defend a slew of different positions. That alone makes him incredibly valuable, as the Bucks have lacked taller wings for two years. Yet, on top of that, he’s incredibly athletic and utilizes that to his advantage on both sides of the ball. Again, Milwaukee needs more of that.
The soon-to-be sophomore’s defense could be huge for Milwaukee, giving them a player who can match up height-wise against taller wings. For the past several seasons, the Bucks relied on their smaller wings, such as Grayson Allen and Wesley Matthews, who are both 6-foot-4, to defend the opposing wings, which has been a major downfall late in the year. Beauchamp can help.
Beauchamp is more ready to help defensively than he is offensively. He will endure some growing pains on that side of the ball, especially from three. Yet, if he can develop even a remotely steady jumper while also slashing to the basket, he can certainly help. The Bucks have longed for another scorer off of the bench alongside Bobby Portis, and Beauchamp could be that player.
Ultimately, Beauchamp’s production will be huge for the Bucks. Even if he’s not stuffing the stat sheet nightly, his defense and hustle will be extremely helpful. Yet, he’s more than welcome to put points on the board as well, which he’s more than capable of doing. A breakout season could be on the horizon for Beauchamp, which would help Milwaukee mightily as they aim to win it all.
Since drafting Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2013, the Milwaukee Bucks haven’t had much luck with their draft picks. Beauchamp has a chance to shatter the mold and be the young star the team is desperately in need of as they aim to bounce back from last season’s debacle. His production is a clear-cut X-factor for this Milwaukee Bucks team in 2023-24.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis and breakdowns.