Any way you want to measure it, Malik Beasley was one of the best signings in the NBA last offseason for the Detroit Pistons.
We knew Beasley could shoot, but he’s also brought attitude and swagger to the Pistons while averaging over 16 points per game off the bench while shooting 42.1 from long range on 9.4 attempts per game.
Even though Beasley has mostly come off the bench, he’s averaging the 10th-most attempts per game (just behind Victor Wembanyama to show you how the game has changed) and is second in the league in 3-pointers made behind Anthony Edwards, who plays nearly eight more minutes per game.
Considering Beasley is on a one-year deal worth $6 million, he is arguably the best value in the NBA and is making Trajan Langdon look like a genius for inking him in free agency.
Beasley is also on his way to obliterating a Pistons’ record by so much it's almost laughable.
Detroit Pistons 3-point leaders
It’s hard to believe, but the Pistons’ record for 3-point makes in a season is 211 by Saddiq Bey back in the 2021-22 season.
Bey shot 7.4 per game and hit 39 percent of them, numbers that Beasley is easily besting.
Beasley already has 122 makes from 3-point range this season, just two behind Ant Edwards for the league lead.
He’s on pace to hit well over 300 for the season, which would destroy Bey’s current record by over 100 made 3-point shots and put Beasley in some elite company.
Given how the game has shifted towards 3-point shooting, it’s not a surprise, but it does show how bad the Pistons have been at it even as the rest of the league increased its volume and accuracy.
If Beasley stays on his current pace, he won’t be far off the all-time record, which is 402 made in a season, held by Stephen Curry.
But when you consider that Beasley is doing this off the bench in far fewer minutes, it’s arguably even more impressive. Four of the top five spots in 3-pointers made in a season are held by Curry and the other by James Harden, and in all of those seasons they launched more than 11 per game.
Beasley has a great shot at jumping into the top-10 all time for 3’s made in a season, eclipsing guys like Paul George and Klay Thompson, who were playing starter’s minutes.
He would only be the 4th player in NBA history to hit more than 300 in a season, the other three being Curry (who has done it 5 times), James Harden and Klay Thompson, not bad company to be in as a shooter.
Beasley has been a revelation both on and off the court and is arguably having one of the best 3-point shooting seasons of all time, which is why bringing him back as a free agent next offseason will be a priority in Detroit.