The move from the starting five to the first rotation off the bench seems to be going well for Bradley Beal, at least statistically. The guard finished as the Suns’ top scorer Thursday against the Hawks with 25 points, the same total as in his first game as a substitute Monday in Philadelphia. Bradley Beal nevertheless admitted that the situation was difficult to live with after having experienced the status of “franchise player” in Washington, and having arrived in Arizona as a future executive of the team.
Seeing him having fun with the Atlanta defense, it’s hard to imagine Bradley Beal struggling mentally or lacking confidence. Very skillful (11/16 shooting), consistent throughout the match, the former Wizard delivered one of his best offensive performances of the season. “ I’m just playing my game and having fun doing it, that’s all » he responded tersely just after the meeting at the Suns microphone.
Don’t be a distraction to the team
More verbose in a press conference, the three-time All-Star was quite measured about these new responsibilities.
« What was the strangest moment coming off the bench? They all are » he replied. “ Everything is different, my preparation for matches is completely different now. You don’t start the match, so you need to make sure you’re ready to go when your name is called. (…) But again, I’m not going to be a distraction, I’m not going to be an asshole, I’m not going to be unprofessional. I’m going to do my job, what I’m asked to do. »
Bradely Beal assured that unlike Jusuf Nurkic, nailed to the bench against Atlanta without prior notification, he had been kept informed of his coach’s decision before being removed from the major five.
« I looked the coach in the eye and told him: ‘OK, I’m not going to fight, you’ve made your choice’ » he recalled. “ That’s huge when you have a player of Bradley’s caliber who can come off the bench » Mike Budenholzer, for his part, reacted to the media. “ He guided us in scoring, and he did it in many different ways. Hats off to him. We are lucky, we have to build on that. »
Religion as a lifeline
The former Washington player is now relying on his faith and his game to face this unprecedented situation in his career. “ For those to whom faith is as important as it is to me, 1 Corinthians 15:58. This is what allowed me to cope. »
This passage from the Bible evokes resilience and a form of sacrifice to accept in order to be better rewarded in the long term. “ So my dear brothers, show yourselves firm and unshakeable. Be ever more active in the work of the Lord, since you know that the effort you give in communion with the Lord is never wasted. »
« Adversity happens, things happen, you gotta control what you can control » explained Bradley Beal. “ I’m just trying to make a positive impact every day. » Mission successful for the moment. No guarantee that it will last the whole season in Phoenix.
| Bradley Beal | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | To | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2012-13 | WAS | 56 | 31 | 41.0 | 38.6 | 78.6 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 13.9 |
| 2013-14 | WAS | 73 | 35 | 41.9 | 40.2 | 78.8 | 0.7 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 17.1 |
| 2014-15 | WAS | 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 | WAS | 55 | 31 | 44.9 | 38.7 | 76.7 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 17.4 |
| 2016-17 | WAS | 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 | WAS | 82 | 36 | 46.0 | 37.5 | 79.1 | 0.7 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 22.6 |
| 2018-19 | WAS | 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 | WAS | 57 | 36 | 45.5 | 35.3 | 84.2 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 6.1 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 30.5 |
| 2020-21 | WAS | 60 | 36 | 48.5 | 34.9 | 88.9 | 1.2 | 3.5 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 31.3 |
| 2021-22 | WAS | 40 | 36 | 45.1 | 30.0 | 83.3 | 0.9 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 6.6 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 23.2 |
| 2022-23 | WAS | 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 | 53 | 33 | 51.3 | 43.0 | 81.3 | 1.0 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 18.2 |
| 2024-25 | PHX | 26 | 33 | 49.3 | 39.2 | 75.9 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 18.0 |
| Total | 774 | 35 | 46.4 | 37.6 | 82.1 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 21.7 | |
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.
