There is no doubt that this meeting between Phoenix and Washington on December 17 was one of the first marked on the calendar of Bradley Beal at the start of the season. The reunion with his former franchise finally took a sad turn as the All-Star guard injured his ankle again a few days earlier.
On the sidelines of the Suns' victory, Bradley Beal spoke once again about his departure from the Wizards after eleven years in the capital. The opportunity to recall that it was the new management embodied by Michael Winger who suggested he start on a new project, and that he left without regrets, with the feeling of having given everything.
“It was very hard because you know a little bit of what I was like, a little naive I guess in some ways, but so determined to want to make it work in DC, and to kind of be the launching pad for all of that. », did he declare. “But on the other hand, after having another conversation with the front office, and I don't want to say it was a sigh of relief, but let's say we took the bull by the horns. Hearing that they wanted to go in a different direction and build a younger team, and therefore transfer me to a title contender, was hard to hear, but at the same time I accepted it. I took it as an opportunity to open a new chapter in my career. However hard the decision may be.”
Big stakes in 2024 with the Suns
In Phoenix for five months, Bradley Beal undoubtedly imagined other beginnings. So far, he has only played 6 matches out of 26, and the latest reviews show at least two weeks of absence. We will not see him again in 2023, and the development of the Suns’ “Big Three” is falling behind.
But Bradley Beal remains confident in the ability of his new team to gain strength at the right time, with the playoffs in their sights. After all, Phoenix has not yet reached the first third of the regular season.
“We are still in the construction phase. It’s clear that I need to be in good health. We must all stay healthy, make sure we are available in order to see what we are capable of doing overall. We saw it in small touches, in preseason, in training and in other areas. But when the staff has a more complete scouting report, and the serious things begin, it will be much more difficult.”
Same story for Frank Vogel, who intends to use Bradley Beal as the ultimate adjustment variable next spring.
“There aren't many better weapons than Bradley Beal for playoff intensity,” he slipped. “Because in the playoffs, opponents are going to try to cut Kevin Durant out of the game, but they're also going to have to try to cut Devin Booker out of the game, and then also Bradley Beal. So if you set up double holds on these guys, the opposite side should be open.”
The Suns’ “return game” in Washington is scheduled for February 4. This will give Bradley Beal a good month to get back on his feet and perfect his integration into the Booker-Durant duo in order to make a nice comeback.
| Bradley Beal | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2012-13 | W.A.S. | 56 | 31 | 41.0 | 38.6 | 78.6 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 13.9 |
| 2013-14 | W.A.S. | 73 | 35 | 41.9 | 40.2 | 78.8 | 0.7 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 17.1 |
| 2014-15 | W.A.S. | 63 | 34 | 42.7 | 40.9 | 78.3 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 15.3 |
| 2015-16 | W.A.S. | 55 | 31 | 44.9 | 38.7 | 76.7 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 17.4 |
| 2016-17 | W.A.S. | 77 | 35 | 48.2 | 40.4 | 82.5 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 23.1 |
| 2017-18 | W.A.S. | 82 | 36 | 46.0 | 37.5 | 79.1 | 0.7 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 22.7 |
| 2018-19 | W.A.S. | 82 | 37 | 47.5 | 35.1 | 80.8 | 1.1 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 25.6 |
| 2019-20 | W.A.S. | 57 | 36 | 45.5 | 35.3 | 84.2 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 6.1 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 30.5 |
| 2020-21 | W.A.S. | 60 | 36 | 48.5 | 34.9 | 88.9 | 1.2 | 3.5 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 31.3 |
| 2021-22 | W.A.S. | 40 | 36 | 45.1 | 30.0 | 83.3 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 6.6 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 23.2 |
| 2022-23 | W.A.S. | 50 | 34 | 50.6 | 36.5 | 84.2 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 5.4 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 23.2 |
| 2023-24 | PHX | 6 | 25 | 44.9 | 42.9 | 70.8 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 14.7 |
| Total | 701 | 35 | 46.0 | 37.2 | 82.2 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 22.1 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
