2016 NBA Draft Profile: Florida State G Malik Beasley

Malik Beasley

Position: G

Height: 6-5

Weight: 190

Team: Florida State

Beasley was not a McDonald's All-American coming out of high school, but he was one of the best freshman scorers in college basketball. At Florida State, he was in the mix with a couple other talented players in fellow freshman swingman Dwayne Bacon and sophomore Xavier Rathan-Mayes. The Alpharetta, Georgia native wasn't always the first option and had to share the ball on the perimeter. He still averaged 15.6 points in 29.8 minutes per game.

Strengths
Beasley is a scorer with an excellent jump shot. He hit 39 percent from three-point range and 81 percent from the line. He's also very athletic and excels in the open floor. He's an explosive leaper and finisher at the rim. He also shows a midrange game with the ability to pull up off the dribble and hit consistently. He also uses an effective floater.

His games against Syracuse stands out. In the first matchup against the Orangemen's zone, Beasley struggled mightily, going 5 of 18 from the field for 14 points. In the rematch, Beasley went 7 of 12 for 20 points. It shows that Beasley was able to make adjustments against an opponent. The latter matchup is also reflective of the efficiency of Beasley's scoring ability. He doesn't need a ton of touches and shots to get going.

Weaknesses
The first thing is his size. Six-foot-five isn't too bad for an off guard but he'll need to add mass to his 190-pound frame.

His handle isn't very strong. He beat people purely off athleticism at the college level. He has slashing ability, but once you stop his first move he doesn't have a secondary one. He's not a great facilitator. He actually averaged more turnovers (1.7) than assists (1.5).

He's not particularly long so he might struggle guarding bigger wing players. Overall defensively he has a long way to go. It'll be up to his NBA team to determine if there's a concern over effort.

How he'd fit with the Sixers
Like a glove. With the way the Sixers' roster is looking — with a glut of big men and nobody that can shoot the basketball — Beasley makes a ton of sense. He showed at Florida State that he doesn't need the ball in his hands at all times to be an elite scorer. Brett Brown will love his ability in the open floor.

NBA comparison
He's sort of in the mold of Bradley Beal, but Beal possesses better playmaking skills. Physically they're similar and both have the ability to give a team instant offense.

Draft projection
He should be around in the mid-to-late 20's. He would look really good for the Sixers at 24 or 26.