The status of Bradley Beal’s participation in the games has been listed as uncertain for a few days, and as of now, there is still no sign that the shooting guard for the Suns will recover, stage a comeback, and thrill the team’s fans when he eventually returns to the court.
Back on October 13, Sean Highkin announced that Beal would be sidelined as he dealt with tightness in his lower back.
Via Highkin: Frank Vogel says Bradley Beal is out with lower back tightness, but Kevin Durant and Devin Booker will both play.
Frank Vogel says Bradley Beal is out with lower back tightness but Kevin Durant and Devin Booker will both play.
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) October 13, 2023
Fans expressed their worries during that time and hoped that his condition wasn’t anything serious. On October 16, though, Beal made an appearance in the Phoenix Suns’ preseason bout against the Portland Trail Blazers, where he played for 18 minutes and scored 11 points with two assists and two steals.
No updates regarding Beal’s condition were made during that time. Everyone was unsure whether his back had improved or was still bothering him during the game, but the Suns later that week disclosed that he was still experiencing back tightness and would not be playing in the final preseason game against the Lakers, according to Yahoo Sports.
Frank Vogel said he limited Bradley Beal (low back tightness) and Devin Booker (sore toe) today, but both should be fine. #Suns
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) October 22, 2023
Despite not being present, the Suns shooting guard assured supporters of the team that his injury is not serious and that he is improving.
“It’s better, it’s better,” Beal said after Monday’s practice via the Arizona Republic. “A little tweak last week. Definitely trending right and feeling better. Was able to practice last two days. So it’s been good.”
Injured Beal is still out
Last year, Beal posted an impressive 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from three-point distance, as reported by Sports Illustrated. With his high-caliber performance, the fans were hopeful that Beal would be able to return to the court in a timely manner and contribute to the team’s success against its opponents.
However, Shams Charania broke the news on X that Beal is still out and would not be playing in Suns’ game against the LA Lakers.
Via Charania: Suns stars Devin Booker (foot) and Bradley Beal (back) will both miss tonight’s game vs. Lakers, sources tell @TheAthletic@Stadium.
Suns stars Devin Booker (foot) and Bradley Beal (back) will both miss tonight’s game vs. Lakers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 26, 2023
The announcement left the fans with a sense of unease, as Kevin Durant was the only remaining member of the Suns’ highly-regarded “big three” and would now have to face the Lakers’ big guys on his own.
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