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The Wizards couldn't afford to whiff on this pick. If Beal had turned out to be a bust, or even mediocre, it would have really hurt.

He could well end up being the BPA while also addressing the teams biggest need.

I'm a bealiever

Beal has been playing extremely well!

It helps having Wall create open looks for him. Beal likely feels less pressure when he's not having to create most of the shots himself. Looks like he's found his shot now too, unlike the beginning of the season. Things are continually rising for this young man!

Here's an astounding stat:

Since January 7, the Wizards have scored 114.1 points per 100 possessions when BOTH Martell Webster and Bradley Beal have been on the floor. When they're both off the floor, they've scored 88.3.

Nivek wrote:Here's an astounding stat:

Since January 7, the Wizards have scored 114.1 points per 100 possessions when BOTH Martell Webster and Bradley Beal have been on the floor. When they're both off the floor, they've scored 88.3.

nate33's First Law of Basketball:
Shooting matters.

Nivek wrote:Here's an astounding stat:

Since January 7, the Wizards have scored 114.1 points per 100 possessions when BOTH Martell Webster and Bradley Beal have been on the floor. When they're both off the floor, they've scored 88.3.

LOL

The Wizards lack shooting and those two have been hot from 3 so it makes sense but that is a huge disparity.

SizzlinSimms wrote:Beal has been playing extremely well!

It helps having Wall create open looks for him. Beal likely feels less pressure when he's not having to create most of the shots himself. Looks like he's found his shot now too, unlike the beginning of the season. Things are continually rising for this young man!

And that is why we wanted Wall to return so badly.

Wall made this one play last game that was amazing. He was dribbling up top. Tried to work a pick a little. Nothing. Keep it alive and re-set. Then he made a hard move to the right and cross the FT line, stopped, jumped and throw it all the way over the opposite 3 corner where Beal was waiting.

Catch. Shoot. Bammmmmm. 3 pter.

Yeah. Wall helps Beal get easy looks. That is what we dreamed of when those of us that wanted them to pick Beal saw them pick him. Draft day was like Christmas hearing his name called. If you remember, it was touch and go. Getting Beal was no sure thing. Then Charlotte called out MKG and it was all ours for the taking. And his name was called.

With the 3rd pick in the 2012 NBA draft. The Washington Wizard take......

BRADY BEAL..

Then the hell that was the start of this season started. But dreams of Wall plums danced in our head.

Now

We are LIVING THE DREAM. Wall to THE REAL BEAL.

I'm so glad we took Beal over Harry Barnes.

Beal is so money. Nice to know that barring any weird circumstances, we could have our back court together for a long, long time.

hands11 wrote:

SizzlinSimms wrote:Beal has been playing extremely well!

It helps having Wall create open looks for him. Beal likely feels less pressure when he's not having to create most of the shots himself. Looks like he's found his shot now too, unlike the beginning of the season. Things are continually rising for this young man!

And that is why we wanted Wall to return so badly.

Wall made this one play last game that was amazing. He was dribbling up top. Tried to work a pick a little. Nothing. Keep it alive and re-set. Then he made a hard move to the right and cross the FT line, stopped, jumped and throw it all the way over the opposite 3 corner where Beal was waiting.

Catch. Shoot. Bammmmmm. 3 pter.

Yeah. Wall helps Beal get easy looks. That is what we dreamed of when those of us that wanted them to pick Beal saw them pick him. Draft day was like Christmas hearing his name called. If you remember, it was touch and go. Getting Beal was no sure thing. Then Charlotte called out MKG and it was all ours for the taking. And his name was called.

With the 3rd pick in the 2012 NBA draft. The Washington Wizard take......

BRADY BEAL..

Then the hell that was the start of this season started. But dreams of Wall plums danced in our head.

Now

We are LIVING THE DREAM. Wall to THE REAL BEAL.

So much truth here.

Higga wrote:I'm so glad we took Beal over Harry Barnes.

Me too, although Barnes is a nice little player too.

Now if we just could have taken Kawhi Leonard instead of Jan Vesely....

dandrews wrote:

Higga wrote:I'm so glad we took Beal over Harry Barnes.

Me too, although Barnes is a nice little player too.

Now if we just could have taken Kawhi Leonard instead of Jan Vesely....

I wish we could go back and dig up those old draft threads. There were lots of rumors about Leonard being our guy several weeks before the draft -- and the board freaked out because Leonard couldn't shoot for distance (he was a sub-30% 3pt shooter in college). People worried that he wed as bit of tweener who feasted on lighter competition. He didn;t have star potential supposedly and didnt have the upside requisite of a #6 pick.

I'm dying to know if they Spurs thought he could be this good. How someone goes from a sub-30% shooter on the college 3 to 40%+ in the NBA is pretty remarkable -- as is the fact that Pop has said he is the future of their franchise.

By draft night, there were very few voices here regretting passing on Leonard.

Like everyone, I'm vulnerable to updating my memories based on more recent facts, but I remember being disappointed that Valanciunas, Williams and Kanter were gone, and then hoping we would trade the pick. If we were going to pick, I think I wanted us to pick Leonard.

So basically I viewed him as the best of a pretty sorry lot who were left at 6. I feel like that was the same position many of us were in.

fishercob wrote:By draft night, there were very few voices here regretting passing on Leonard.

Well, nobody around here, except maybe CCJ and payitforward (and where was he?), knew he would be that good. Wasn't there a poll? I think Leonard got significant votes, possibly a plurality. The overarching sentiment, however, seemed to be "not Vesely." I was thinking even Biyombo might be better. What did I know?

I recall a poll, in which Leonard was the clear cut #1.

I remember wanting Biyombo until a pre-draft video/article came out showing how Leonard was working his tail off fixing his jump shot, and his form in the video looked fluid and almost perfect. It may have even been from the Spurs workout.

montestewart wrote:

fishercob wrote:By draft night, there were very few voices here regretting passing on Leonard.

Well, nobody around here, except maybe CCJ and payitforward (and where was he?), knew he would be that good. Wasn't there a poll? I think Leonard got significant votes, possibly a plurality. The overarching sentiment, however, seemed to be "not Vesely." I was thinking even Biyombo might be better. What did I know?

Yes, that did seem to be the overarching sentiment. I didn't vote in the poll personally, so no "I told ya so" from me, but the board as a whole gets to feel a little smug about that call.

And maybe someone who is willing to spend more than 90 seconds searching will prove me wrong, but I did not see a poll for who we actually WOULD draft in 2011, only who we WOULD NOT draft.

I argued loudly for Kawhi to be our pick, and argued repeatedly that his college stats showed he would be a solid to good player in the NBA. I also facepalmed repeatedly about the Janchises lack of measurable basketball skills.

After the draft, I talked myself into Ves' defensive potential as a coping mechanism... but that's part of being a Wiz fan.

Illuminaire wrote:I argued loudly for Kawhi to be our pick, and argued repeatedly that his college stats showed he would be a solid to good player in the NBA. I also facepalmed repeatedly about the Janchises lack of measurable basketball skills.

After the draft, I talked myself into Ves' defensive potential as a coping mechanism... but that's part of being a Wiz fan.

I recall feeling somewhat similarly. I liked Kawhi early on, but was talked out of him by many here that I like and respect (I think my buddy Dat was staunchly anti-Kawhi at #6). I had no reason to like Vesely, but talked myself into his potential as an Andrei Kirilenko type. Wich brings me back to my original point:

how bout that Bradley Beal?!

If Ernie wanted Vesely that bad, fine....Its on his record. My problem was with not finding a way to trade up 3-5 spots to get Kawhi when he was slipping in the draft.

jivelikenice wrote:If Ernie wanted Vesely that bad, fine....Its on his record. My problem was with not finding a way to trade up 3-5 spots to get Kawhi when he was slipping in the draft.

Really, the Wiz 2nd 1st rounder should have been used on Faried.

With that 6th pick, I remember being so shocked that Cleveland went for Thompson at 4 and thinking - Is it really possible that Valanciunas slips to the Wiz - and then Toronto picked him at 5. And then Ernie proved that nightmares really can come true.