Los Angeles Needs Their Beasley Back

The Los Angeles Lakers have improved their offense ever since trades were made back in February. The team boosted their record from 26-31 to 38-38 since acquiring solid shooters. Malik Beasley, a shooting guard the Lakers received from Utah Jazz, has given Los Angeles an edge on their offensive play.

Beasley spent one season with Utah before he made his way to LA. He had one of his best seasons last year where he averaged 13.4 points a game. Now with the Lakers, he has set an average of 11.2 points a game. In an earlier postgame press conference after a win against the New Orleans Pelicans, Beasley said, “I tell myself to keep doing what I’m doing. Don’t change anything up and don’t worry about the pressure of making shots.”

The elite shooter has positively affected the Lakers' chances to move up the Western Conference standings and to have a shot in the play-in tournament. However, the shooting guard has taken a surprising turn and his numbers have slowed down drastically. He is currently averaging 7.4 points while shooting 31.7% from the field and 35.5% outside the three-point line.

Coach Darvin Ham addressed Beasley’s recent decrease in numbers after a win against the Chicago Bulls but showed him showed him support overall. “I don’t know if he’s lost confidence. He’s probably a little frustrated,” said Ham. “Again, I’m behind him 1000% and he is going to continue to get his minutes. And we just got to continue to set great screens from him. Encourage him to continue to shoot the ball and to continue to compete defensively. There’s no magic pill. He’s just got to keep playing ball. Every night is not going to be your night. In an 82-game season you’re going to struggle. Have nights where you struggle.”

In the game against the Bulls, Beasley finished with zero points, one rebound, one assist and two steals and had four turnovers.

While Beasley works to get his rhythm back, the Lakers still hold on to hopes for the post season. They continue to gain momentum, are back in the .500 percentile and are one game behind the Minnesota Timberwolves, who they face off next. The offensive and defensive tactics have improved while players such as Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves seem highly motivated now that the regular season is ending.

As for Beasley, there is not much time for the wild card threat to get back in the swing of things. The Lakers playoff chances can fall into his hands if any of the athletes find themselves in an error. If he gets his rhythm back during this end stretch and works back to his three-point star self, he will continue his career with the Lakers going into next season. The Lakers need as many reliable shooters as they can reach and Beasley having a couple “off weeks” does not mean Los Angeles needs to give up on his offensive shooting skills.