All things considered, Malik Beasley was solid during his one-year stint with the Milwaukee Bucks, especially given that he played the most prominent defensive role of his career.
Still, it's no secret that the biggest thing he struggled with was consistency. One game, he'd shoot the lights out from downtown and easily eclipse a double-digit point total. However, the very next game, there was always a chance he'd struggle to throw a rock in the ocean. That type of inconsistency was simply not going to cut it from a player who started for most of the games he played.
This up-and-down production is likely one of the main reasons the Milwaukee Bucks let him walk to their Central Division foe, the Detroit Pistons, in free agency this past offseason.
The Pistons are experiencing the Malik Beasley roller coaster
Beasley's performances in December pretty much sum everything up.
To start the month, he had four points against his former Milwaukee Bucks squad. During his next two games, he combined for 46 points with a pair of 23-point outings. In the next game, he musted up just five points. In Detroit's most recent contest, a thrilling overtime victory over the Miami Heat, Beasley erupted for a season-high 28 points, the highest on the team.
Beasley has great games, but he also has plenty of struggle-filled ones; it's who he is. When the shot is falling, things are great. When it's not, it's tough to have him on the court at times. Milwaukee Bucks fans know this very well from last year, and Pistons fans are getting well-acquainted with it right now.
To his credit, Beasley is indeed having one of his most productive seasons yet, averaging 15.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists while making 3.5 triples per game. He's been a nice pickup for a Pistons team trying to take the next step, but he's been far from perfect, as evidenced by his December, and it wouldn't be surprising if that trend continued for the former Buck.
While having another capable floor spacer on the roster wouldn't hurt, the Milwaukee Bucks likely are not kicking themselves over letting him walk. Beasley's departure cleared room for the emergence of AJ Green, Andre Jackson Jr. and the other youngsters in Milwaukee's recent youth movement, which has played a major part in their early-season turnaround.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.