The NBA Potential of Virginia Guard Reece Beekman
Reece Beekman may not be the most flashy guard prospect in the 2023 NBA Draft class but that should not take away from his draft stock or the practicality of what he gets done on the court.
Beekman is a 6-foot-3 guard from Baton Rouge, Louisiana that is in his third season for head coach Tony Bennett and the Virginia Cavaliers.
With a surface level look at Beekman’s stats you may not come away impressed. His averages of 9.4 points, 5.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game do not exactly jump off the page. For this junior guard we must take a deeper look into the stats, and of course, the film.
We get a much clearer view of Beekman’s statistical impact when looking at them per 100 possessions. This is especially key considering Virginia is the third slowest playing team in the country, via Bart Torvik.
When we even out the pace of play, Beekman is now averaging 23.4 points, 10.8 assists, and 3.5 steals per 100 possessions. Numbers that are very much on par with the freshman season of one of the best backup point guards in the NBA, Tyus Jones.
While Beekman’s ultimate value comes from his passing and defense, shooting is an important skill for almost any prospect. While the volume is low, the junior guard has shown great improvement year over year while at Virginia.
Beekman has improved his 3-point shooting from 24% to 34% to 47% this season on increasing volume each year. His free throw percentage has also risen 10% from his freshman to his junior season with a significant jump in attempts as well, over five more attempts per 100 possessions.
The box score stats and shooting improvements are important to touch on but at the end of the day, the film tells the real story about where Beekman is going to make his NBA impact.
Passing
The Scotlandville High School product is able to attack defenses in multiple ways to draw defenders and manufacture open looks. NBA teams will love the amount of ball screens he has played in at Virginia and his ability to create for teammates out of those.
Beekman, while not the most explosive athlete, is able to use a functional handle combined with great start and stop suddenness to create advantages in isolation.
When playing off the ball, something he can do and will be asked to do at the next level, he showcases a nice shot fake to attack closeouts and leverage that into open opportunities for his teammates.
Defense
Beekman’s defense is just as much fun to watch, and is as impactful, as his passing. Turn any Virginia game on and you will be sure to see him draw the assignment of the opposing team's best perimeter offensive player.
He has an uncanny ability to simply mirror the movements of the offensive player, allowing him to stay in front. In the few, and there are few, situations where Beekman does get beat he is incredibly active and accurate swiping at the ball and generating a steal or forcing a turnover.
Beekman’s contribution on the defensive end goes beyond his on ball acumen. He possesses a high basketball IQ that allows him to be a major contributor in his team’s overall defense by using that to execute rotations, without over helping, and anticipate passes to get steals and deflections.
According to Cerebro Sports, Beekman comes in at an above average overall C-Ram score of 8.3. His Defensive Impact Stats (DSI) is “great” with a score of 87, even if that is a little lower than expected, and his Floor General Skills (FGS) comes in at 75, a tad below the “great” threshold.
Reece Beekman is a name to keep an eye on throughout the rest of this 2022-2023 college basketball season and very well could be a name you see selected on NBA Draft Night.
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