Bradley Beal, much like Damian Lillard for the Blazers, dedicated 11 seasons solely to the Washington Wizards. Injuries aside, he was unquestionably one of the players who were instrumental to their victories. With 50 games played, he shot 50.6% from the field and 36.5% from three-point range, finishing with an astonishing average of 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game last season.
But, during the offseason, Beal officially ended his Wizard run and was dealt to the Phoenix Suns. This news was met with enthusiasm from fans, who believed that Beal’s arrival in Phoenix would increase the team’s chances of winning a championship as he would be joining forces with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant to form the “Big 3”.
Beal misses seven games
As early as October 13, reports of Beal’s lower back tightness surfaced, which kept him from playing in his first regular season game with the Suns and resulted in his missing seven of the team’s games.
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
But last week, as news of Beal’s improvement started to surface, there was at last a ray of optimism. Beal had gone through a full practice, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, and he was anticipated to make his regular season debut against Chicago on Wednesday.
Frank Vogel wouldn't say Bradley Beal's minute restriction other than to say it's a "range."
Devin Booker played 35 minutes in his return from left ankle sprain and it was over the range.
"We're going to be smart with his rotations and not let him have too long of runs." #Suns https://t.co/2wCkfTBoMt pic.twitter.com/WSBJrOwBe5
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 8, 2023
“That’s a major part of the process,” Kevin Durant said of his teammate Beal. “Most of the time, you’re away from the team, you can’t practice, you can’t go through the stuff that we go through. So you can feel a little disconnect there, but once you get on the court and a full participant in practice, it makes you feel more a part of the team. You can just tell he’s on his way back. It’s good for his psyche, good for us as a team, but I know he’s looking forward to starting the season.”
Beal’s debut
On Wednesday night, Bradley Beal finally claimed his place on the court and made his much-awaited regular season debut with the Suns.
Beal played a total of 24 minutes and managed to contribute 13 points and 4 assists to Suns’ 116-115 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
“He was good in stretches and you could tell he was a little bit rusty in stretches, which was to be expected,” Vogel said of Beal’s debut
Cover Photo: YouTube