With the Phoenix Suns watching their season slip away, right now they look more likely to be in Cancun than the play-in tournament when the regular season does finally come to an end. In fact, there's a higher chance that the San Antonio Spurs overtake them for 11th spot in the Western Conference, than there is that they reel in the Dallas Mavericks in 10th themselves.
Bradley Beal has become a scapegoat for this disastrous season, and it is not hard to see why. It was his no-trade clause that kept him in Phoenix at the deadline, even though the Washington Wizards were rumored to be open to taking him back again. It is also his contract that ensures that - as long as this team is built around three stars - they have zero flexibility to make any other real moves.
His recent comments were made all the worse by Lakers defeat.
The other side of the coin with Beal - and it is one that fans appear to forget when it suits them - is that on the court he actually plays like he cares. The same cannot be said for most of his teammates on a nightly basis, and it is not Beal's fault that he is both being paid like a superstar, and also that he is putting up the numbers consistent with a third option.
He's holding up his end of the bargain, it is just that the money he's making means that fans expect prime All-Star Beal each night. That's not going to happen anymore, and that has as much to do with the niggling injuries that have plagued him since he got to The Valley than anything else. His body again betrayed him in the loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, as he left with a hamstring issue.
Unfortunately for Beal this particular issue has come at the worst possible time, because of comments he made to the media not too long ago with regards to him possibly being traded at the deadline. With the cards in his hand, the 31-year-old opted to stay in The Valley - much to the dismay of many fans who thought Jimmy Butler was coming to save them - and he followed that up with;
"I'm still playing in the NBA, I still have the best job in the world, and I still have my no-trade clause. So I'm smiling every day." Although the sentiment from Beal was to explain that - despite this being a tough season - he is extremely grateful to be in the position that he is in, the timing of that particular quote and then once again going down with an injury when the team needed him was not ideal.
Never mind that it was also somewhat taken out of context, as prior to uttering those words Beal had gladly said he would come off the bench or do whatever it took to win - because as he is well aware - he has yet to win in the league on the highest stage. Yet when the Suns needed him to have one of his best games of the season to hold off Luka Doncic and the Lakers, he couldn't last an entire half.
Which appears to suggest that this quote is going to follow him around for the rest of his time in Phoenix. As long as Beal is in control of his future and getting paid handsomely to play basketball, then he's happy. Which he should be - only with this dumpster fire of a campaign showing no signs of burning itself out - again being injured is not how to win over the swaying fanbase.