Reece Beekman

Beekman spent his entire college career with the Cavaliers and was a regular starter in all but five games during his freshman year. His numbers improved with each passing season, so seeing him deliver the best year of his career in 2023-24, when he averaged 14.3 points, 6.2 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals per contest, wasn't surprising to anyone who followed the ACC closely. His PPG and APG figures were career-best marks for the Baton Rouge native, who also led the ACC in assists per game during his senior year, a feat he also achieved during his sophomore year in 2021-22. Beekman was named the 2023-24 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, was named to the 2023-24 ACC All-Defense Team, and was part of the 2023-24 All-ACC Second Team both in the regular season and the ACC Tournament. Beekman is not a flashy guard who's going to star in highlight reels due to his impressive handles and epic passes, but the Virginia standout gets the job done on offense while also making an impact on the defensive end. He showed the ability to create for others at the college level while limiting his turnovers. While he'd need to adjust to the pace of the NBA, he has the fundamentals and the vision to be an effective passer at the next level. Beekman also possesses a high basketball IQ, which allows him to make the best decision more often than not, and he's shown flashes of having "three-and-D" potential due to a constantly evolving shot from beyond the arc. Defensively, Beekman stays in front of the offensive players and suffocates with his on-ball defense. He often guarded the opposition's best players during his senior year with Virginia, which should translate well to his defensive ability at the next level. Beekman's passing ability, composure on the ball and elite on-the-ball defense, as well as the fact that he's not overly dominant on the offensive end or the best athlete, suggest he might be well suited to a backup role in the NBA. However, if his shot continues to evolve, and if he doesn't lose the high basketball IQ that made him one of the best guards in the nation during the 2023-24 season, he might end up being a starter down the road. That's not expected to happen during his rookie year, though.