Bradley Beal - Part II

[Upper Decker]

The thought crossed my mind a little while ago. The #3 pick's of the last four draft are on two teams. Favors '10 and Kanter '11 are on the Jazz, whereas, Beal '12 and Porter '13 or on the Wiz. Which #3 pair would you rather have?

[dobrojim]

right now or in 2-4 years?

[dckingsfan]

Is anyone just a little concerned about Beal's overall progress this year? He got off to a poor start last year and finished well last season. Maybe that is just how it will be with BB.

I thought he would have taken bigger strides on his DRB%, AST% and have become a bit better as a rebounder. The one thing that has been terrific is that he is knocking down 3 pt shots at a terrific rate and that he is part of a terrific trio spreading the court (Beal/Webster/Ariza).

But whereas Ariza/Webster have taken jumps forward this year, Beal is down just a bit IMO.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... lbr01.html

[tontoz]

Is anyone just a little concerned about Beal's overall progress this year? He got off to a poor start last year and finished well last season. Maybe that is just how it will be with BB.

I thought he would have taken bigger strides on his DRB%, AST% and have become a bit better as a rebounder. The one thing that has been terrific is that he is knocking down 3 pt shots at a terrific rate and that he is part of a terrific trio spreading the court (Beal/Webster/Ariza).

But whereas Ariza/Webster have taken jumps forward this year, Beal is down just a bit IMO.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... lbr01.html

Beal has two basic problems. First if he get run off the 3 pt line he usually takes one or two dribbles and launches a long 2. He doesn't attack the basket much which hurts his efficiency as well as preventing him from getting to the foul line/setting up teamates for easy looks.

The other problem is that he seems to be leaking out early trying to cherry pick instead of hitting the defensive glass.

Both are mental and shouldn't be hard to fix. I hope he corrects them but I am not going to assume that the flaws will just go away with time.

[hands11]

Is anyone just a little concerned about Beal's overall progress this year? He got off to a poor start last year and finished well last season. Maybe that is just how it will be with BB.

I thought he would have taken bigger strides on his DRB%, AST% and have become a bit better as a rebounder. The one thing that has been terrific is that he is knocking down 3 pt shots at a terrific rate and that he is part of a terrific trio spreading the court (Beal/Webster/Ariza).

But whereas Ariza/Webster have taken jumps forward this year, Beal is down just a bit IMO.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... lbr01.html

Beal has two basic problems. First if he get run off the 3 pt line he usually takes one or two dribbles and launches a long 2. He doesn't attack the basket much which hurts his efficiency as well as preventing him from getting to the foul line/setting up teamates for easy looks.

The other problem is that he seems to be leaking out early trying to cherry pick instead of hitting the defensive glass.

Both are mental and shouldn't be hard to fix. I hope he corrects them but I am not going to assume that the flaws will just go away with time.

Him leaking out my very well be part of scheme. He might be instructed to be doing that. I think his focus this year is on better ball handling and improving n what worked for him last year. Basically getting back to where he was after missing like 3 months without being able to do anything. Lets not forget he went through that.

He basically went through what Wall went through so just getting back to being good is an achievement. First things first before his starts driving and taking a pounding is to see if they can keep him on the floor and win with him only playing 28 minutes.

[dckingsfan]

Is anyone just a little concerned about Beal's overall progress this year? He got off to a poor start last year and finished well last season. Maybe that is just how it will be with BB.

I thought he would have taken bigger strides on his DRB%, AST% and have become a bit better as a rebounder. The one thing that has been terrific is that he is knocking down 3 pt shots at a terrific rate and that he is part of a terrific trio spreading the court (Beal/Webster/Ariza).

But whereas Ariza/Webster have taken jumps forward this year, Beal is down just a bit IMO.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... lbr01.html

Beal has two basic problems. First if he get run off the 3 pt line he usually takes one or two dribbles and launches a long 2. He doesn't attack the basket much which hurts his efficiency as well as preventing him from getting to the foul line/setting up teamates for easy looks.

The other problem is that he seems to be leaking out early trying to cherry pick instead of hitting the defensive glass.

Both are mental and shouldn't be hard to fix. I hope he corrects them but I am not going to assume that the flaws will just go away with time.

Agreed with the long 2 issue - same with Wall. Wall and Beal account for a lot of our long 2s and hopefully that will be remedied over time. (side note: I saw Cassell lecturing Beal on the long 2 early in the shot clock - Beal basically shrugged).

When he does drive, it isn't leading to easy shots on the court for teammates - so, other than spreading the floor he isn't making the gam easier for his teammates IMO.

Not hitting the defensive glass - I don't know what to think about that... we are ranked 25th in defensive rebounding as a team. You would think that they would be preaching defensive rebounding. Wall and Beal definitely should be reasonable defensive rebounders. I should say that both are in the top 50 so it isn't horrible, just could be better from what we need as a team.

[dckingsfan]

Is anyone just a little concerned about Beal's overall progress this year? He got off to a poor start last year and finished well last season. Maybe that is just how it will be with BB.

I thought he would have taken bigger strides on his DRB%, AST% and have become a bit better as a rebounder. The one thing that has been terrific is that he is knocking down 3 pt shots at a terrific rate and that he is part of a terrific trio spreading the court (Beal/Webster/Ariza).

But whereas Ariza/Webster have taken jumps forward this year, Beal is down just a bit IMO.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... lbr01.html

Beal has two basic problems. First if he get run off the 3 pt line he usually takes one or two dribbles and launches a long 2. He doesn't attack the basket much which hurts his efficiency as well as preventing him from getting to the foul line/setting up teamates for easy looks.

The other problem is that he seems to be leaking out early trying to cherry pick instead of hitting the defensive glass.

Both are mental and shouldn't be hard to fix. I hope he corrects them but I am not going to assume that the flaws will just go away with time.

Him leaking out my very well be part of scheme. He might be instructed to be doing that. I think his focus this year is on better ball handling and improving n what worked for him last year. Basically getting back to where he was after missing like 3 months without being able to do anything. Lets not forget he went through that.

He basically went through what Wall went through so just getting back to being good is an achievement. First things first before his starts driving and taking a pounding is to see if they can keep him on the floor and win with him only playing 28 minutes.

Good point, maybe we shouldn't expect him to improve off of his rookie year due to the injuries... just be as good as his rookie year might be the best we can expect.

[Kanyewest]

Wizards are 6-1 in the last 7 games Beal has played.

[nate33]

Beal had a horrific start which has brought down his overall numbers. If you ignore his first 3 games, his stats look quite a bit better. From the 4th game onward, he is posting a TS% of .543, and an ORtg of 105 on a usage rate of 25.7. That's up quite a bit from his numbers last year (TS% .515, ORtg 102, Usg 22.2).

I realize I'm cherry-picking data a bit, but hopefully, his track record over the last 12 games is more indicative of his future performance than his track record in the first 3 games.

I do agree that he is taking way too many long 2's. He's also had two games in a row with 0 assists.

[Illmatic21]

Beal has two basic problems. First if he get run off the 3 pt line he usually takes one or two dribbles and launches a long 2. He doesn't attack the basket much which hurts his efficiency as well as preventing him from getting to the foul line/setting up teamates for easy looks.

The other problem is that he seems to be leaking out early trying to cherry pick instead of hitting the defensive glass.

Both are mental and shouldn't be hard to fix. I hope he corrects them but I am not going to assume that the flaws will just go away with time.

Him leaking out my very well be part of scheme. He might be instructed to be doing that. I think his focus this year is on better ball handling and improving n what worked for him last year. Basically getting back to where he was after missing like 3 months without being able to do anything. Lets not forget he went through that.

He basically went through what Wall went through so just getting back to being good is an achievement. First things first before his starts driving and taking a pounding is to see if they can keep him on the floor and win with him only playing 28 minutes.

Good point, maybe we shouldn't expect him to improve off of his rookie year due to the injuries... just be as good as his rookie year might be the best we can expect.

Beal is better now than his rookie year. He isn't as hot from the field as he was in Feb/March, but he's improved his ballhandling and is somewhat better in p&r situations. He's also better creating off the dribble, and finishing at the basket (remember how many layups he used to miss?)

And I think he's comfortable being the leading scorer now, which is important from a chemistry standpoint. I thought Wall would lead the team in scoring for at least another season, but Beal stepping into that role this quickly takes a lot of unnecessary pressure off of John.


It's very rare for a player to take a "leap" in their second season, it's an adjusting period where they have to learn to react to how teams are playing them (for example, teams want to run him off the three-point line, so he needs to develop a dribble/drive game and stop hoisting long twos). The third season is when they usually put it all together.

[dckingsfan]

Him leaking out my very well be part of scheme. He might be instructed to be doing that. I think his focus this year is on better ball handling and improving n what worked for him last year. Basically getting back to where he was after missing like 3 months without being able to do anything. Lets not forget he went through that.

He basically went through what Wall went through so just getting back to being good is an achievement. First things first before his starts driving and taking a pounding is to see if they can keep him on the floor and win with him only playing 28 minutes.

Good point, maybe we shouldn't expect him to improve off of his rookie year due to the injuries... just be as good as his rookie year might be the best we can expect.

Beal is better now than his rookie year. He isn't as hot from the field as he was in Feb/March, but he's improved his ballhandling and is somewhat better in p&r situations. He's also better creating off the dribble, and finishing at the basket (remember how many layups he used to miss?)

And I think he's comfortable being the leading scorer now, which is important from a chemistry standpoint. I thought Wall would lead the team in scoring for at least another season, but Beal stepping into that role this quickly takes a lot of unnecessary pressure off of John.


It's very rare for a player to take a "leap" in their second season, it's an adjusting period where they have to learn to react to how teams are playing them (for example, teams want to run him off the three-point line, so he needs to develop a dribble/drive game and stop hoisting long twos). The third season is when they usually put it all together.

Good points all!

Any metrics that you have looked at for 2nd to 3rd year players. Paul George jumped out at me - but he took a big jump as a sophomore.

[dckingsfan]

Beal had a horrific start which has brought down his overall numbers. If you ignore his first 3 games, his stats look quite a bit better. From the 4th game onward, he is posting a TS% of .543, and an ORtg of 105 on a usage rate of 25.7. That's up quite a bit from his numbers last year (TS% .515, ORtg 102, Usg 22.2).

I realize I'm cherry-picking data a bit, but hopefully, his track record over the last 12 games is more indicative of his future performance than his track record in the first 3 games.

I do agree that he is taking way too many long 2's. He's also had two games in a row with 0 assists.

Yep, the shooting is good and that is very nice. And I don't think that is cherry picking rather more toward trending data.

But yes, it is the assists and drb% that worry me most. Maybe he is just learning to get by people and now he needs to know what to do that?

[Rafael122]

20 years old!

[Illmatic21]

Good points all!

Any metrics that you have looked at for 2nd to 3rd year players. Paul George jumped out at me - but he took a big jump as a sophomore.

I don't have metrics on hand, but it's commonly stated that the 3rd year is when you can really see who a player is going to be.

George has made an impressive jump each year, but he became an All-Star his 3rd year. Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose. Wall would've been an All-Star if healthy. Klay Thompson seems to have made a jump this year as well.

I think Beal will average around 20ppg next year, but it'll be on better efficiency and he'll be getting to the line more. And hopefully he'll continue developing his ability to be a primary ballhandler.

[dckingsfan]

Good points all!

Any metrics that you have looked at for 2nd to 3rd year players. Paul George jumped out at me - but he took a big jump as a sophomore.

I don't have metrics on hand, but it's commonly stated that the 3rd year is when you can really see who a player is going to be.

George has made an impressive jump each year, but he became an All-Star his 3rd year. Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose. Wall would've been an All-Star if healthy. Klay Thompson seems to have made a jump this year as well.

I think Beal will average around 20ppg next year, but it'll be on better efficiency and he'll be getting to the line more. And hopefully he'll continue developing his ability to be a primary ballhandler.

Well, that is one thing I have been impressed by - his improved ball handling. OK, next year it is

[hands11]

Beal has two basic problems. First if he get run off the 3 pt line he usually takes one or two dribbles and launches a long 2. He doesn't attack the basket much which hurts his efficiency as well as preventing him from getting to the foul line/setting up teamates for easy looks.

The other problem is that he seems to be leaking out early trying to cherry pick instead of hitting the defensive glass.

Both are mental and shouldn't be hard to fix. I hope he corrects them but I am not going to assume that the flaws will just go away with time.

Him leaking out my very well be part of scheme. He might be instructed to be doing that. I think his focus this year is on better ball handling and improving n what worked for him last year. Basically getting back to where he was after missing like 3 months without being able to do anything. Lets not forget he went through that.

He basically went through what Wall went through so just getting back to being good is an achievement. First things first before his starts driving and taking a pounding is to see if they can keep him on the floor and win with him only playing 28 minutes.

Good point, maybe we shouldn't expect him to improve off of his rookie year due to the injuries... just be as good as his rookie year might be the best we can expect.

Well. I would say that's close. Only more experienced. Calmer. More big shots. Improved ball handling. Better understanding of the game. And stronger body I hope. Might not show up in his number as a big leap, but he will be a better player by years end. You will see him take over at times. Some nice moments.

Then look for a bump in year three. Age ? 21. Cost. $4,505,280 Hell yeah.

[hands11]

Wizards are 6-1 in the last 7 games Beal has played.

Again.

I saw the line up numbers and posted them several times. Nene was important. Beal was more important. Losing him produced the biggest delta in efficiency plus/minus.

Maybe that will be less this year if Otto gets it going so Webster can back up at SG and replace Beal if he misses some games, but this team injured and without one of Trevor A and Webster get crushed when it doesn't have Beal. They just aren't there yet. Any two of Trevor A, Webster and Beal out and OUCH. And clearly losing Nene or Gortat hurts a ton.

Webster, Trevor A and Beal. Gotta have at least two or they are hurting.

Healthy, this is a good team with a bench that can get it done and with young players that can grow playing n more vet line ups. To many injuries to the wrong places and they are just parts that aren't ready to step it up and get them through it. Wall isn't there enough yet to carry them. Then the only way to get by it over playing pieces that leads to more injuries and more disaster.

Right now is a great opportunity for this team to really develop both as a team and to get younger players like Ves, Kevin, etc to take a step up. Even Wall and Beal.

[hands11]

Beal had a horrific start which has brought down his overall numbers. If you ignore his first 3 games, his stats look quite a bit better. From the 4th game onward, he is posting a TS% of .543, and an ORtg of 105 on a usage rate of 25.7. That's up quite a bit from his numbers last year (TS% .515, ORtg 102, Usg 22.2).

I realize I'm cherry-picking data a bit, but hopefully, his track record over the last 12 games is more indicative of his future performance than his track record in the first 3 games.

I do agree that he is taking way too many long 2's. He's also had two games in a row with 0 assists.

The long 2s aren't a worry for me right now. He needs to stay healthy first. Then he can start driving more. Do you remember how he was a crash dummy last year. With that leg issue, I don't want to see that. He needs to stay on the floor first and foremost.

[lmcguir5]

Hey, Bobcats fan here.

Would you guys consider a trade of Bradley Beal? Excluding Kemba, what would you guys see as a legitimate trade for Beal if you guys don't think he is untouchable

[B-easy]

Hey, Bobcats fan here.

Would you guys consider a trade of Bradley Beal? Excluding Kemba, what would you guys see as a legitimate trade for Beal if you guys don't think he is untouchable

No one that you have.