Bradley Beal - Part III

[DCZards]

Beal is taking the majority of his shots at the rim or from 3pt range (both at career highs in attempts). As long as he keeps up that shot distribution he can be efficient. Of course not 62% TS efficient, but it's clear imo he's made changes in his game that can be lasting. I'd like to see him take even more three pointers, but the way he's playing now shows that he's on a very good trajectory at 22yo.

Beal is doing exactly what he vowed to do at the outset of the season---taking fewer long range 2pt shots and attacking the rim off the dribble more often. Lately, he's also been reacting more quickly (and aggressively) when he gets the ball...rather than the ball pounding and probing that often resulted in a turnover.

[theboomking]

Beal is quietly having a career year. His scoring volume and efficiency are both increase significantly above his previous personal bests. His TS% this year is .568, compared to his previous best of .521 last year. His scoring volume is up to 23.6/40, compared to 19.7 two years ago. This is on increased usage. I think people on the board gave up on Beal too quickly. He would be a fantastic 3rd banana, and given his age, is worth a max contract.

[CobraCommander]

Beal is quietly having a career year. His scoring volume and efficiency are both increase significantly above his previous personal bests. His TS% this year is .568, compared to his previous best of .521 last year. His scoring volume is up to 23.6/40, compared to 19.7 two years ago. This is on increased usage. I think people on the board gave up on Beal too quickly. He would be a fantastic 3rd banana, and given his age, is worth a max contract.

Quietly everyone should be nervous about Beal's stress fractures. Talent wise he is amazing but you can't predict when his stress fractures will keep him out of games. If you have a max player that plays 60-70% of your games you better have an amazing roster around him that keeps the team afloat until you need him in the play offs... But that's what you do with an aging superstar not a young guy learning the game like Beal. I want the wiz to keep Beal but right now...how much better is he than any other 2 guard in the league if missing 30% of the season and is on limited minutes when he is there. Temple is starting more games than him. You can't have a MAX bench player on a sub 500 team... Beal's talent is unquestioned but his durability is- fortunately the wiz have Wall to lead the team and Beal Hopefully can be a sidekick. But I thin Beal has to surpass Wall from a night in and night performance level for the wiz to have a chance. Wall is clearly in the top 5 in point guards (with Curry and Westbrook) leading the way... We Need BEAL to be in the top 5 of 2 guards to have a chance...and no one can realistically say that right now with his injury history. Again not his fault..just the facts.

[dlts20]

To me our season comes down to Beal and his minutes restriction. We have a ton of b2b's the rest of the way so if he is only allowed to play 24min in b2b's and Witt insist on bringing him off the bench in those games then we will struggle due to our 2nd best player only getting 24min and our continuity always being thrown off with the lineup changes.

When he came back they said that he would eventually max out with a 35min restriction so when will that come? We need that to happen now and for him to be allowed to play 30min on b2b's so we can always have him starting

[Dark Faze]

If his efficiency has come from being off the bench--then I don't mind him being our James Harden from OKC off the bench. We just need our version of Durant to start, which we haven't acquired yet...nobody even close really.

[dlts20]

I'm not buying that. He just learned from watching when he was hurt. He has played well even as a starter since coming back

[payitforward]

The big changes in Beal this year are a) he's shooting more (esp. more 3's) and b) he's posting a much improved 2-pt. FG%. The result is that his EFG% (.53) and TS% (almost .57) are at career highs. To do this while increasing your attempts is a very good thing. He's also getting to the line more, btw. And his TS% would be higher if he weren't shooting @5% below his previous seasons' FT%.

A little perspective: Bradley Beal entered this season, his 4th, 4 months after he turned 22. Dwyane Wade entered his 2d season (after a meh rookie year) 9 months after he turned 22.

Doesn't mean anything for sure of course -- other than that it's way too early to give up on him being a tremendous player.

[nate33]

2 consecutive crappy games from Beal and a mediocre one before that. Beal is back down to career lows in WS/48 and just barely above his career low in ORtg. He's also at a career low in 3P%.

I was right. His good play post-injury was merely a hot streak. We are back to seeing the same old mediocre Beal. He doesn't suck or anything. He's just not that great either.

[Ruzious]

2 consecutive crappy games from Beal and a mediocre one before that. Beal is back down to career lows in WS/48 and just barely above his career low in ORtg. He's also at a career low in 3P%.

I was right. His good play post-injury was merely a hot streak. We are back to seeing the same old mediocre Beal. He doesn't suck or anything. He's just not that great either.

Yup, that's why I thought we needed to see improvement in his stats other than FG shooting to see lasting improvement.

[dckingsfan]

2 consecutive crappy games from Beal and a mediocre one before that. Beal is back down to career lows in WS/48 and just barely above his career low in ORtg. He's also at a career low in 3P%.

I was right. His good play post-injury was merely a hot streak. We are back to seeing the same old mediocre Beal. He doesn't suck or anything. He's just not that great either.

Yup, that's why I thought we needed to see improvement in his stats other than FG shooting to see lasting improvement.

So stupid not to trade him at the deadline - sigh. Instead we pickup Morris, miss the playoffs and give up a first rounder - sigh.

[nate33]

2 consecutive crappy games from Beal and a mediocre one before that. Beal is back down to career lows in WS/48 and just barely above his career low in ORtg. He's also at a career low in 3P%.

I was right. His good play post-injury was merely a hot streak. We are back to seeing the same old mediocre Beal. He doesn't suck or anything. He's just not that great either.

Yup, that's why I thought we needed to see improvement in his stats other than FG shooting to see lasting improvement.

So stupid not to trade him at the deadline - sigh. Instead we pickup Morris, miss the playoffs and give up a first rounder - sigh.

I can live with the choice not to trade him at the deadline. The fact is, he probably had very little trade value. And he was playing great at the time (post injury) and there was at least some hope that he was in the midst of making "the leap". If nothing else, there is the hope that he can be resigned to a reasonable contract due to his injury issues.

The Morris trade was awful. It would have been palatable with full lotto protection, but with only top 9 protection, it's a disaster.

[DANNYLANDOVER]

There's no reason for him to be a sub 80% FT shooter. I can forgive a drop in 3P%, but you just can't win with damn near your entire roster (especially your guards) shooting sub 80% from the FT line. It negates any increase in getting to the line. This guy is not a MAX player! if we miss the playoffs, Ernie/Witt retained, lose our pick, miss out on KD and max Beal, I'll no longer be a Wizards fan.

[DCZards]

2 consecutive crappy games from Beal and a mediocre one before that. Beal is back down to career lows in WS/48 and just barely above his career low in ORtg. He's also at a career low in 3P%.

I was right. His good play post-injury was merely a hot streak. We are back to seeing the same old mediocre Beal. He doesn't suck or anything. He's just not that great either.

BB's shooting has indeed been putrid the last couple of games. His 3pt shooting was really off last night. As you said (I believe it was you Nate), his extremely hot shooting post-injury would be hard to sustain. He still needs to shoot much better than he has in the past 2 games.

But Bradley continues to attack the basket (as he did several times last night), is 7-8 from the FT line the last two games and his passing/playmaking in the Pels game, where he had 5 assists in 25 mins, was about the best that I've seen it.

There's really only one thing that I'm worried about with Bradley as far as his future his concerned...that's his health. I think a healthy Beal is still a borderline all-star.

[dckingsfan]

I think a healthy Beal is still a borderline all-star.

So, top 10 SG in the L would be a ceiling?

[nate33]

I think a healthy Beal is still a borderline all-star.

So, top 10 SG in the L would be a ceiling?

Well, "borderline all star" would mean he's a top 10 guard, not merely a top 10 shooting guard.

Right now, I can name at least 10 shooting guards better than him:

Harden
Thompson
Butler
McCollum
Mathews
Redick
Derozan
Wade
Batum
Barton

And another 15 or so PG's better than him:
Curry
Westbrook
Paul
Wall
Lowry
Lillard
Conley
Irving
Parker
Bledsoe
Thomas
Jackson
Hill
Walker
Dragic

He's a long way away from the All Star Game.

[Ruzious]

He can BECOME a borderline all-star, but he's a long way from EARNING all-star status.

[DCZards]

He can BECOME a borderline all-star, but he's a long way from EARNING all-star status.

I agree.

[dckingsfan]

He can BECOME a borderline all-star, but he's a long way from EARNING all-star status.

At year 4, how many other guards are better than him from year 1-4?

[nate33]

He can BECOME a borderline all-star, but he's a long way from EARNING all-star status.

At year 4, how many other guards are better than him from year 1-4?

The follow list is players 6-7 or under who are in their 1-4th year and are posting a WS/48 greater than .080 while playing at least 1000 minutes:



(Beal's WS/48 is .071)

[AFM]

It's really hard for me to say that Matthew Delladova is better than Beal. Or Langston Galloway.