Bradley Beal - Part II

[hands11]

I know he's the real deal Bradley Beal but I'm just gonna call him 4th quarter Beal now. whenever I see him go off in the fourth that name sticks in my head. its like Jordan who's the only other person I remember who would just kill it in the fourth.
did better against Stevenson than I thought. He's still twenty ( I think ) and scored plus 25 points thrice so far our of six games and is in very elite company at his age. I hope he keeps this up. He comes out to play against wade and Joe Johnson so if we make it out this series I expect him to continue being a silent killer.

Apparently he has no company. First player younger than 21 to score 25 pts three times in the playoffs.

Kelly interviewing him post game
http://www.monumentalnetwork.com/videos ... urt-050514

[hands11]

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400556174

Beals Game 1 answer to the IND Lance challenge.

Beal 8-18, 3-5 from 3, 6-9 FT, 7 rbs, 7 asts, 5, steals, 1 block, 4 turnovers, 3 Pfs, 25 pts

Lance 4-13, 2-4 from 3, 2-2 FT, 6 rbs, 2 asts, 2 steals, 0 blocks, 4 turnovers, 3 Pfs, 12 pts

Now that's an impressive line from a 20 year old. Hell, that an impressive line from anyone in the playoffs.

WIZ 1
IND 0

And now Home Court Advantage is ours. How sweet is that?

The player development of this team has been focused on Wall and Beal. They are the two core pieces. It was about getting quality vets around them so they could develop into stars. There are only so many young players you can develop at one time. That meant killing McGee, Ves and Kevin S and even Otto this year to the curb and focusing on these two.

[jmrosenth]

It's fair to ask, is he already the team's best player? What an eye-opener for me what he's doing at age 20....the poise, the clutchness, the all-around game. #smitten

[Jay81]

It's fair to ask, is he already the team's best player? What an eye-opener for me what he's doing at age 20....the poise, the clutchness, the all-around game. #smitten

yes...when healthy he is the best player on the team.

the 2012 draft is becoming a really good class

A Davis
B Beal
D Lillard
Andre Drummond

not ready to give up on Gilchrist yet and some other good players are developing. Still hate that Grunfeld punted the 2nd round

[hands11]

It's fair to ask, is he already the team's best player? What an eye-opener for me what he's doing at age 20....the poise, the clutchness, the all-around game. #smitten

Thats an interesting question.

I remember a while back ( Wall wasn't the Wall he is now ) posting something about how Beal was better and how Wall would struggle with this ego as Beal showed it.

Some of us have gotten a sense that some of this has taken place, but now...

I think Wall has matured enough and they have gelled enough that neither wants to be bigger then the other. They want each other to be great.

Comparing this is near impossible because they are very different players.

Thankfully for us, they are both Wizards. They are both great and only going to get better. And they have the personalities to do it. There is no Westbrook personality to deal with here. I don't think either will get in the way of the other developing. They know they need each other.

People talking about how Wall plays more passively when others are doing well. Well yeah. Wall is a true PG. His main goal is to get the W. He is learning and a great PG needs to know how to step back when others can step up. Then they need to be able to step in when the team needs them to when others are struggling.

Wall is learning. The future is bright.

[nate33]

It's fair to ask, is he already the team's best player? What an eye-opener for me what he's doing at age 20....the poise, the clutchness, the all-around game. #smitten

It's too early to say that. Up until the last 10 games of the regular season, Beal was unquestionably our worst starter and arguably even worse than our first two bench players (Webster and Booker).

He's been great over the past 15 games though. If that keeps up indefinitely, then, yes, he may become our best player; but I'll need to see it for a while longer before I believe.

Let's not forget that Wall played about 30 games last season at a legit MVP level, but eventually came back down to Earth. Guys have hot streaks.

[hands11]

It's fair to ask, is he already the team's best player? What an eye-opener for me what he's doing at age 20....the poise, the clutchness, the all-around game. #smitten

yes...when healthy he is the best player on the team.

the 2012 draft is becoming a really good class

A Davis
B Beal
D Lillard
Andre Drummond

not ready to give up on Gilchrist yet and some other good players are developing. Still hate that Grunfeld punted the 2nd round

I have always felt you need to give a draft class a full 3 years min to start to clearly rank it. That would be end of next year for this class. And I agree. I wouldn't give up on MKG. He is only 20, just like Beal.

But for those that wanted to draft MKG over Beal... Ahh. NO.

I think in another two years, MKG will look like a much better player. He needs to get someone to help him get that hitch out of the shot though. Its killing it.

[nate33]

Would you trade Beal straight up for Drummond right now?

[Jay81]

Antonio Davis is clear cut #1 from that class but #2 is not so clear cut....Beal,Lillard,Drummond could all be legit options at #2. Gilchrist has been abysmal but its still early. Waiters has been okay...Terrence Ross scored 51 a few months ago

[fishercob]

Would you trade Beal straight up for Drummond right now?

Great, tough question. To expand on it, what players WOULD you trade Beal for?

[Jay81]

Would you trade Beal straight up for Drummond right now?

which is easier to obtain..a dominant big or a very good SG? Id probably make the trade although pain me because i love Beal

[hands11]

It's fair to ask, is he already the team's best player? What an eye-opener for me what he's doing at age 20....the poise, the clutchness, the all-around game. #smitten

It's too early to say that. Up until the last 10 games of the regular season, Beal was unquestionably our worst starter and arguably even worse than our first two bench players (Webster and Booker).

He's been great over the past 15 games though. If that keeps up indefinitely, then, yes, he may become our best player; but I'll need to see it for a while longer before I believe.

Let's not forget that Wall played about 30 games last season at a legit MVP level, but eventually came back down to Earth. Guys have hot streaks.

Its looking more and more like some of Beal inefficiency was a function of them wanting him to try to expand his skills/game vs stay locked into only the things he already did well.

It was an investment in the future. Lose a little more now but a better players over the following years.

Seems they made several of these kinds of decisions but its all coming together at the right time now.. in the playoffs.

[Nivek]

It's fair to ask, is he already the team's best player? What an eye-opener for me what he's doing at age 20....the poise, the clutchness, the all-around game. #smitten

Regular season, he was 7th.

In the first round, Ariza was the team's best player, but Beal was 2nd.

Last night, Ariza again rated as the Wizards' most productive player with Beal 2nd. That was a phenomenal game from Beal, though.

[Higga]

Would you trade Beal straight up for Drummond right now?

Great, tough question. To expand on it, what players WOULD you trade Beal for?

Maybe Durant and that's about it. I love Beal too much to trade him, he's going to be OUR star and there is something about drafting and developing and watching your kids grow up to be elite players that is just special.

[Rafael122]

Would you trade Beal straight up for Drummond right now?

Beal and Wall are my untouchables. I would trade Beal for Durant, or a player of that level (which is probably just Lebron and KD at this point) but other than that? It would be difficult, and would require multiple first round picks. Unprotected.

[blessofcurse]

Im a big fan of Wall but in the next 3-5 yrs do you think guys Beal will be better than Wall?

[Rafael122]

Im a big fan of Wall but in the next 3-5 yrs do you think guys Beal will be better than Wall?

Two different players.

Again I ask, why not enjoy having both guys on this team instead of always trying to compare the two? It's like we can't have nice things.

[fishercob]

Im a big fan of Wall but in the next 3-5 yrs do you think guys Beal will be better than Wall?

Two different players.

Again I ask, why not enjoy having both guys on this team instead of always trying to compare the two? It's like we can't have nice things.

This is a deeply rooted flaw in American culture as it relates to team sports. America has long celebrated "rugged individualism" as a trait in our heroes, and we apply that celebration to team sports -- the entire point of which is the performance of the whole as opposed to the individual.

Asking who is better between Wall and Beal is like asking whether arms or legs are more important for swimming. No matter what your answer is, you obviously need them both.

I have always been annoyed by individual awards -- and the media's fixation on and celebration of them -- in team sports. They are completely and utterly besides the point. The point is simple -- win games, as a team. Standings and championships tell us very clearly who performed best and who did not.

That, by the way, is the allure and the joy of this Wizards teams. Barkley pointed out how they had 4 different leading scorers in their first round wins and how unheard of that is in this day and age. Read about the early 70's Knicks or the championship Blazers, or the Russell-era Celtics to understand who high-functioning teams can triumph over great individual players. Hell, just look at the Mavs title over the Lebron Heat to see a recent example. And then read about how those great TEAMS connected with their fanbases in an atypical, almost mystical way.

TEAM!

Go Wiz.

[DCZards]

Poise and athletic arrogance. The kid had both when he first put on a Zards uni and even when he's struggled it's been clear to me that Beal was the next Mitch "The Rock" Richmond. His scoring, his rebounding, his assists, his demeanor, his toughness, even his body...all very similar to Mitch.

[doclinkin]

Im a big fan of Wall but in the next 3-5 yrs do you think guys Beal will be better than Wall?

Two different players.

Again I ask, why not enjoy having both guys on this team instead of always trying to compare the two? It's like we can't have nice things.

Right? I'd keep Beal over most other players since he's an ideal complement to Wall. And quite frankly right now star 2 guards are not as common in the league as solid Bigs. It goes against prevailing wisdom but honestly how many star shooting guards are out there and available in any offseason, for picks free agency or trade. Seems to me we're in an era of drought there.

Nor in the playoffs do dominant Bigs seem to be the prevailing metagame. Teams that advanced in the 1st round did so without dominant defensive lowpost play. San Antonio is the exception and in their case Tony Parker really is the engine that makes that club go. You could make a case that Washington is an exception but again our case reinforces the point: we picked up two Bigs who were available, and we advanced in large part because our dominant defensive Big is best at defending as a mid-range P&R blockade. He's nice in the post but not for his rebounding or block totals, his defense just inside the arc is what has proven more important.

Yeah I'd do Beal plus something to land KD but there's not many players who would have quite as perfect synergy with Wall, especially when accounting for youth, upside, lack of ego, etc.