Why Wizards Signing Reece Beekman to Two-Way Deal Makes Sense

The Washington Wizards have officially converted guard Reece Beekman’s Exhibit 10 contract into a two way deal, a move that makes a ton of sense for the Wizards.

After arriving as an obvious candidate for the spot, Beekman will take the Wizards final two way roster spot alongside Felix Okpara and Jamir Watkins. After his impressive Summer League outing combined with the Wizards lack of point guard depth and overall lackluster perimeter defense from the guard position, Beekman’s fit with the Wizards seems like a great one. 

The Wizards lack of a true backup point guard behind Trae Young is very apparent as the Wizards currently have players on their bench who are viewed as secondary playmakers and ball handlers. Bub Carrington can initiate offense but he is more effective as an off ball combo guard. Tre Johnson can create with the basketball but he is still developing his playmaking ability. But overall, there is a difference between having players who can handle and having someone who naturally thinks like a point guard and that is where Beekman could potentially help this team.

Beekman’s greatest offensive strength is his playmaking. He isn't somebody who needs 15 shots every night to make an impact. Instead, he is more of an organizer of the offense, get some paint touches, manipulate the defense and find teammates. During five Summer League games with the Wizards, Beekman averaged six assists in about 27 minutes per game. He finished Summer League with a 2.3 assist to turnover ratio, showing that he could create opportunities without being turnover prone as much which is --something that most Wizards guards have been struggling with throughout the entirety of preseason.

Against Atlanta in the Summer League, Beekman dropped 13 points, six rebounds and 14 assists in the Wizards 91-83 victory. It was one of the best playmaking performances of Summer League and showcased exactly why the Wizards should be interested in continuing his development here in D.C. All throughout that game he was controlling the pace and consistently creating easy opportunities for everyone else.

However, the biggest attribute or calling card to Beekman isn’t his playmaking but rather his defense, which might actually be his best NBA skill. Beekman averaged 2.0 steals and 1.2 blocks per game during Summer League. That's very impressive defensive playmaking for a 6 foot 3 guard. The ball pressure that he consistently applied was very impressive and he used his active hands to disrupt possessions which led to turnovers. Beekman showed the instincts that made him such a respected defender during his college career at Virginia. Overall, his on ball and off ball defense was very evident, as he consistently fought through screens and made the opposing point guard's life a living nightmare. The Wizards sorely lack a true point of attack defender behind Bilal Coulibaly and Kyshawn George, and with Jamir Watkins unfortunate injury, a guard with Beekman’s skillset on the defensive end made him a very intriguing option. 

With Trae Young in the fold, you need defensive players around him and if Beekman earns rotation minutes, he would then give Brian Keefe a completely different type of point guard to work with whenever Trae goes to the bench. Trae is the offensive engine whereas Beekman could potentially become the defensive change of pace guard who pressures opposing point guards while keeping the Wizards' offense intact. 

On the flip side, Beekman isn't primarily known as a great shooter, but he made 41.7% of his threes during Summer League, albeit on only 2.4 attempts per game. If he can become a respectable catch and shoot threat, then he could possibly force his way into the rotation if other players ahead of him aren’t producing. 

The Wizards don't need Beekman to become a scorer. They already have plenty of shot creators. They need someone who can defend and take care of the basketball while creating easy opportunities for teammates. After the Summer League he put together, the Wizards giving him an opportunity with this two way contract was well deserved while simultaneously filling a legitimate need on this roster.