Washington Wizards: John Wall, Bradley Beal Will Build Better Chemistry In 2017

Washington Wizards’ two stars, John Wall and Bradley Beal, spoke about having issues on the court, but that should work itself out this season.

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen weren’t best friends, but they still led the 1996 Chicago Bulls to 72 wins and an NBA championship at the end of the season.

Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant never shared a desert together, but they’re still one of the most dominant one-two punches in NBA history.

The point is, the best players on each team don’t necessarily have to be best buds off the court. As long as the chemistry is clicking when it matters, then the rest will take care of itself.

That’s currently where the Washington Wizards stand with John Wall and Bradley Beal.

As someone who’s covered both players for their entire careers, essentially, I’ve never gotten the impression that the Wizards’ star backcourt love each other. But, I also never assumed that they disliked each other.

Today, CSN Mid-Atlantic began releasing their off-season series that chronicles the team and the moves they made this summer.

Wall, who’s been a big part of the project, spoke about his somewhat distant relationship with Beal.

"“I think a lot of times we have a tendency to dislike each other on the court. … We got to be able to put that to the side. If you miss somebody on one play or don’t have something go right … as long as you come to each other and talk. If I starting arguing with somebody I’m cool. I’m just playing basketball,” Wall said in a sitdown interview with CSN’s Chris Miller that airs tonight, Wizards Central: Offseason Grind, at 7:30 p.m. ET."

Here’s what Wall said, basically: he recognizes that he’s not very close with Beal and they struggle to get along on the court all the time.

When the “news” – if you want to call it that – broke, I immediately saw some Wizards fans start to panic on social media.

Is it really that surprising, though?

Beal has been injury prone his entire career and only played in 55 games this past season.

How can you build chemistry with someone when you’re never on the court together? On top of that, wouldn’t it create some friction if Wall is the only player carrying the team? Seeing the supposed sidekick in a suit every night won’t help things.

It’s not a secret that both players have to do a better job of playing together, but that doesn’t mean the Wizards are doomed.

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Wall and Beal are still very young – and again – haven’t spent much time on the court together.

If Beal can stay healthy this season, and we kind of have to assume that he will, then things should correct themselves naturally.

When Beal stays healthy, the Washington Wizards’ chances of winning games obviously improves. When the team wins games, then the team will have a more positive attitude. It’s a simple equation. More wins = happier locker room. Less wins = more friction.

The addition of Scott Brooks (and subtraction of Randy Wittman) will help the Wizards gain chemistry on the court too.

Wittman was notorious for calling players out in front of the media and played favorites during film sessions. Brooks, unlike Wittman, is going to hold the players accountable. From Wall all the way to Marcus Thornton, everyone should be treated equally.

A part of this story likely comes from the fact that it’s August and NBA news is incredibly dry.

We all knew that Wall and Beal weren’t best friends. Anyone who watched the team play could tell that the two didn’t always mesh (which is largely because they haven’t played together often due to injuries).

Both players have games that complement each other. Wall is a slasher and elite distributor, and Beal is one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA. The duo are “alpha males,” as Beal called it, so this is to be expected.

Next: John Wall Will Be an All-NBA Defender In 2017

They will work things out. It will take some time. With more shared moments on the court, Wall and Beal will get it together. Neither player is known for creating issues. Will they be eating ice cream together? Maybe not. But that doesn’t matter. The wins will solve everything.