Thru 2 preseason games, Denver’s Malik Beasley (UD.) is making a strong case for rotation minutes.

Without Gary Harris in the lineup, Beasley’s taken advantage of more reps & cashed in on the opportunity. Last night v. LAL, he scored 15 pts (in 25 min. off bench) w/ 3 triples. Consistenly making threes is Beasley’s quickest path to more PT under Coach Mike Malone. Though Denver finished 7th in the league in 3-pt. percentage a year ago, they don’t have a primary sniper in the second unit.

On top of that, Wilson Chandler’s departure is a ripple-down effect: Will Barton shifts from a Sixth Man role to the starting five, while young players like Beasley & Juan Hernangomez jockey for extra time. Beasley has all the tools to develop into a reliable, 3&D threat. His improvement off the bounce gives him a shot at two-way status but there needs to be an emphasis on (second-unit) sniping to start out.

A former one-and-done at Florida State, Year 3 of Beasley’s pro career could prove his most productive.