There are two weeks before training camp begins, and the Minnesota Timberwolves still have plenty of questions to answer before the season kicks off. Will they trade for Ben Simmons? How will Anthony Edwards look in Year 2? Can this team make the playoffs? But one of the most important questions for the future of the franchise on and off the court is what will Malik Beasley do with his second chance?
Last month Beasley was released from jail after serving 78 days of a 120-day sentence. The 24-year-old shooting guard pleaded guilty to a felony charge of threats of violence after an incident last year in which Beasley pointed a gun at a family who was mistakenly parked in front of his home.
The NBA suspended Beasley for 12 games last season after the plea. He returned for four games after the suspension before missing the last 23 games of the season with a hamstring injury.
When he was on the court, Beasley had the best season of his career. The 19th overall pick in 2016 averaged 19.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting a team-best 39.9 percent from 3 on 8.7 attempts per game. With Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell hampered by injuries and Edwards’ early struggles, Beasley was often the best offensive player on the court for the 23-49 Wolves.
With his off-court issues swirling, many thought that Beasley played his last game for the Timberwolves. Barring a surprise trade, Beasley will be with the team when they begin training camp on Sept. 28. With his legal issues and injury seemingly behind him, Malik Beasley has been gifted a second chance to make a difference on and off the court. Now it’s up to him to make the most of his opportunity.
First and foremost, Beasley’s most important move is to atone for his seriously dangerous behavior. During his plea, Beasley said he “learned his lesson” and is “ready to move on.” That’s a nice sentiment, but it’s time to put his money (and his time) where his mouth is. It’s one thing to say you learned your lesson, it’s another to actually show that you have. The easiest and most impactful way he can do that is to be active in the community, whether that’s donating some of his $60 million contract to local charities, or getting involved with educating people or advocating for a cause he’s passionate about. Perhaps something to do with victims of gun violence might be the best use of his time or money. What he does with his time is ultimately up to Beasley himself, but whatever he does on the court will mean nothing if he doesn’t make a change off the court.
It’s not as important, but a healthy Beasley has a chance to improve on his breakout season when the Wolves hit the court for the regular-season opener against the Houston Rockets on Oct. 21. Last season Beasley started 36 of the 37 games he played. Beasley could find himself coming off the bench most of the time, depending on how the lineup shakes out this year. A sixth-man role could benefit Beasley in Chris Finch’s offense, giving him a role as a gunner alongside backup point guard Patrick Beverley.
The Timberwolves had a minus-9.8 net rating when Beasley and Russell shared the court. The duo was one of the worst defensive backcourts in the league. Moving Beasley to the bench for Beverley, a three-time All-Defensive selection, can hide Beasley’s defensive weaknesses while allowing him to be the focus of the offense when Ant, KAT, and DLo sit.
The biggest factor to his success is how Beasley will fit in Finch’s offense. Beasley only played in six games after Finch took over the head coaching position for Ryan Saunders in February last season. In those six games, Beasley struggled, shooting just 38.4 percent from the field, but he did make 40.4 percent of his 9.5 3s per game. Finch tweaked the offense on the fly, playing more through Towns and moving the ball more down the stretch, which is a good sign for Beasley. 87.5 percent of Beasley’s threes were assisted last season. During the last 15 games of the season, Finch had the Wolves second in the league in assists per game with 28.4 per game. Beasley has a chance to be a spot-up nightmare for opposing teams, giving KAT a lethal weapon to find lurking in the corners, where Beasley shot 45.3 percent last year.
Beasley has been given the second chance in life that many in this world never get. What he does with it is up to him, but how he comes back will shape the rest of his life on and off the court.
