Each of the acquisitions the Los Angeles Lakers made at the trade deadline brings something different to the table. In the case of Malik Beasley, the main trait he provides is his floor spacing as a high-volume shooter which opens the lane up for LeBron James and, especially, Anthony Davis.
Three-point shooting has been an issue for the Lakers all season long and Beasley is someone who teams must respect when he is coming off screens, giving the Lakers an element they did not previously have. But playing with a dominant big man like Davis is something Beasley is used to and he is trying to develop that chemistry with his new teammate.
Beasley has thrived next to some of the best big men in the NBA and is using those experiences to help grow his relationship with Davis on the court. “I told him that I’ve played with KAT and Joker so like, sometimes he has to be the one who handles the ball instead of me,” Beasley said.
“I set screens for him so I can get a smaller defender on him and if they trap him, I got an open shot. So we’re still working on our two-man game but it’s getting better and better every game and I think he realizes that he can be more of a threat with me and the action with it.”
The Lakers have already implemented some of those actions with Beasley setting screens for Davis, which either gets a smaller defender on him or at the very least, gets Davis on the move before receiving the ball, putting the defense in an impossible position.
There have also been different hand-off actions between the two and which often can set Beasley up for an open look from three, or give Davis the extra space to operate one-on-one where he is basically unguardable.
As Beasley noted, it is still a work in progress, but he and Davis are putting in the work to give the Lakers offense another dimension that will make them even tougher to guard in the half court.
Anthony Davis calls Malik Beasley a key piece for the Lakers
While Beasley sees what Davis does for his game, Davis also sees the impact Beasley can have and what he is capable of providing for this Lakers team as well.
“I think he’s a key piece to our team with his ability to space the floor, put the ball on the ground,” Davis said recently. “It kind of reminds me of me and KCP had that action where it’s single action and he’d come off shooting and you can’t go under. Beaz can shoot it and can drive, he’ll just make a read whether he finishes or throw a lob.
“So, we have that ability and he has that ability to playmake. So, having a piece like that, able to space the floor definitely helps us a lot.”
These two getting on the same page will only make the Lakers that much better.
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