Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal Hits Shooting Slump Following Hot Start
By Ben Mehic
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal is finally having the breakthrough season the team has been waiting for, but he’s also hit a shooting slump.
The NBA has become an unorthodox league, with big men floating beyond the 3-point arc and coaches emphasizing the need to shoot quickly for the purpose of having more possessions.
The traditions, in many ways, are gone. The old-school, back to the basket big man is extinct. Guards who think to pass first before shooting are no longer around.
But the game’s fundamentals remain very much the same.
Bradley Beal entered the NBA out of Florida with a picture-perfect jump shot. Even though his percentages didn’t leap off the screen, his form was impeccable, causing his stock to rise above the rest of his peers’.
Needing a two-guard for the future, Washington picked Beal third overall with the idea of pairing him alongside John Wall.
After years of dealing with nagging injuries, including a reoccurring stress reaction, Beal has finally tapped into his potential. He signed a $128 million extension with the Washington Wizards this past summer and has elevated his game after becoming the franchise’s highest paid player.
Beal is averaging a career-high 22 points per game with an above-average player efficiency rating (19.04).
More from Wiz of Awes
- It would be a mistake for the Wizards to trade for this elite sharpshooter
- When is the 2024 NBA trade deadline? Everything you need to know
- 5 early predictions for the 2023-24 Washington Wizards
- 4 most interesting Washington Wizards storylines for the 2023-24 season
- Washington Wizards: 3 teams that would be perfect fit for Danilo Gallinari
He’s scored 40+ points on multiple occasions, cementing his status as one of the league’s breakout stars this season.
Beal’s shooting was the catalyst for Washington’s success in December – a month in which the Wizards won 10 of their 15 games, elevating themselves back into the playoff picture.
Washington has won 13 straight games at home and much of their success could be attributed to Beal’s shooting.
He’s knocking down 45 percent of his 3-point attempts inside the Verizon Center. For comparison, his teammate, Otto Porter, leads the league in 3-point percentage at 45 percent.
But over the past three games – two of which resulted in wins for Washington – Beal has struggled to find a rhythm from deep.
On January 18 against the Memphis Grizzlies, Beal made just one of his seven attempts from three. The following night against the New York Knicks, Beal missed all seven of his tries from three. And then on January 21 against the Detroit Pistons, Beal missed another seven threes without hitting one.
Since Washington’s bench has increased its production, the scoring load has been lessened on the starters, including Beal.
After Washington’s win over Memphis, Brooks mentioned Beal’s development, noting that he’s become more than just a 3-point shooter.
“Brad [Beal] actually got a lot of good looks, and unfortunately it was a tough shooting night for him, but he kept fighting and kept getting to the basket and got calls down to the rim,” Brooks said. “But I thought he kept competing.”
This season, Beal is getting to the free throw line about five times per game – roughly two times more than last year.
Next: Otto Porter Needs To Shoot More Threes
But for the team to reach its full potential, Beal is eventually going to have to snap out of his cold streak. And the only way to do so is to keep shooting.