Team USA took a first step toward officially clinching its spot in the 2027 FIBA World Cup over the past week, blowing out Nicaragua in a pair of qualifying games. The U.S. team, which won by 35 points on Friday and by 24 points on Monday, will take a 2-0 record into the next round of World Cup qualifiers in late February.
As we detailed in November, Team USA’s roster for those first two qualifying games featured several NBA veterans, including Brandon Knight, Torrey Craig, and Kessler Edwards. The team’s standout performer against Nicaragua, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, was former first-round pick MarJon Beauchamp.
Beauchamp, who turned 25 in October, spent three seasons in the NBA after being drafted 24th overall in 2022, appearing in 135 total games for the Bucks, Clippers, and Knicks. He’s currently a free agent, but he made a strong case during his brief stint with Team USA that he deserves consideration from NBA teams. The 6’7″ forward set a Team USA record by scoring 50 total points across those two games — he made 18-of-26 shots from the floor (69.2%), including 9-of-14 three-pointers (64.3%).
“Yeah, he’s gonna be in the NBA at some point, whether it’s tomorrow or later this year,” said Stephen Silas, the head coach of the U.S. qualifying team, per Vardon.
Beauchamp spent the first two-and-a-half years of his professional career in Milwaukee before being traded to the Clippers at last season’s deadline. He was waived by L.A. a few weeks later and quickly caught on with the Knicks on a two-way contract for the rest of the season.
Beauchamp spent time with Portland and Philadelphia this fall and opened the season with the Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers’ G League affiliate. According to Vardon, the former G League Ignite standout is weighing offers from European teams while still hoping to get a call from an NBA suitor. He remains eligible for a two-way contract.
Although Beauchamp didn’t receive consistent rotation minutes during his three NBA seasons, he pointed to a stretch early in the 2023/24 season under then-Bucks coach Adrian Griffin as an example of the kind of role he believes he’s capable of playing. Before Griffin was replaced by Doc Rivers, Beauchamp was averaging 15.7 minutes per night and knocking down 40.3% of his three-pointers through 34 outings.
“I don’t know if people remember my second year in the NBA,” Beauchamp said. “I was playing for Coach Griffin as the seventh man, shooting 40 percent (on three-pointers) off the bench. Doc came in and kind of switched everything up, but my shooting is kind of the one thing people harp on, like I’m not capable. But I really haven’t gotten the opportunity after Coach Griffin. But I stayed believing.”
Really liked his game when he was playing for Ignite, I am a believer!
Obviously Doc Rivers ruined a great thing (also why is Adrian Griffin out of a job???)
Firing Griffin wasn’t the problem as the team and most importantly Giannis never bought in on his play schemes. The problem was firing Nick Nurse in the first place.
you mean Budenholzer? he’s nothin great either
Yeah I meant Bud. He was decent in Atlanta and coached Milwaukee to a championship.
Griffin and Beauchamp both kind of got a raw deal on that one.
All they needed to do was wait until December when the majority of the players were trade eligible, and trade for a good point of attack defender to add to their backcourt.
The better question is how does Rivers the snake oil salesman keep getting hired
Rivers is a good coach. He is a better politician.
You don’t win a championship and multiple coach of the year honors if you are a bad coach.
You can win a championship with vets and high IQ players and not be a good XO coach. You can also be a bad coach over 15 years after that championship, it’s not a Hall pass. The awards speak more to the politician side than anything
We will have to agree to disagree on this one.
IMO, you don’t get that record with multiple teams if you are not good at the job.
Bucks should bring him back. He is a solid bench guy. Definitely gives them depth.
He should go back to the coach who didn’t play him? Not an upgrade over Amir Coffey.
There are other teams who could use a low-end rotation wing. Like the Knicks once they find a dumping ground for Pacome Dadiet.
Or a young team like the Pelicans who have significantly lower aspirations.
Or the Clippers after their Trade deadline fire sale.
Why would the clippers do a fire sale this season where they dont have their first round pick?