Bradley Beal was the big acquisition for the Phoenix Suns last offseason. The Suns took the plunge, trading aging point guard Chris Paul to the Washington Wizards for Beal, who had been in Washington his entire career up until that point.
It was always going to be an interesting change up for Beal, as the star was going from being the main source of offensive game and ball handling on his team to being a part of a big three in Phoenix. Beal was the third main source of offensive game, with the former All-Star always destined to be a third option with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker being the other two superstars on the roster.
Beal's season in Phoenix got off to a rough start, missing a number of games to start off the season.
When he finally got to the team, Beal's numbers proved to be slightly inconsistent as he adjusted to being the third option on the offensive end.
For the season, Beal averaged below 20 points per game for the first time in nearly a decade. Beal averaged 18.2 points, his lowest since the 2015-16 season where averaged 17.4 points playing alongside John Wall in his peak.
Bradley Beal speaking to his players about "Stats". Not everyone's role is to be a star player but to be a star at their role!
— Joshua Todd (@CoachJTodd) May 25, 2024
"F*** YOUR STATS"🗣
(via @jgarvinnn 🎥 ) pic.twitter.com/32clBrNTZc
Beal saw drops in other stats as well, including minutes and assists per game. This was to be expected as Beal is no longer the main factor for his team in the offensive game plan. However, consistency would have been something Phoenix would have wanted to see from the star.
Between missed time due to injuries and inconsistent play, including multiple games where the scoring machine only scored in single digits, Beal did not look like himself at times during the season as he learned to adjust. While he had some big games, including a 43 point performance against his former team, the former All-Star just did not feel like himself playing alonside two future Hall of Famers.
However, there were some positives for Beal in his debut season with Phoenix. While he was taking less shots and scoring less than he was as the main option for Washington since the departure of John Wall, his efficiency hit career highs. Beal's overall field goal percentage was a career high of 51.3%, meaning the majority of his shots were hitting. He has hit a career high percentage from beyond the arc, shooting 43% from deep.
Beal may have not had the high scoring that he brought to the Wizards and had to adjust to a different role, however when called upon he was generally efficient and able to hit the shots he needed to take.
It is disappointing that the ball was not in Beal's hand more often, as Booker was the primary playmaker for the team. However, with the talent he was surrounded by, it is easy to see how he was not as involved in the offensive side of the court as much as previous years.
Overall, Beal had an interesting season. Between the missed games and some inconsistency, his debut stint with Phoenix was not the perfect season the team had envisioned.
His accuracy was definitely a positive sign for the team. Between his previous history and his massive contract, there was higher expectations for Beal this season. Still, he provided a solid third option at times for the team and hopefully will excel next season with a year with the team under his belt.