Washington Wizards: Beal’s emergence in Wall’s absence

Does Bradley Beal receive the national attention he deserves?

In the ten games the Washington Wizards have played since John Wall was sidelined with injury, Wall’s talented backcourt companion has stepped up in a major way. Bradley Beal has averaged a staggering 29.8 PPG, good for 5th in the NBA within that time frame. If these high volume numbers remain consistent, what does this mean for the future of Beal’s career and the Wizards themselves?

Let’s take a deeper look into some offensive numbers comparing Bradley Beal’s stats with and without Wall.

With Wall

• 34% from 3-Point
• 2nd Half Scoring: 11.9 PPG
• -2.7 +/-
• Team Scoring: 112.5 PPG
• Team Win Percentage: .366

Without Wall

• 39.3% from 3-Point
• 2nd Half Scoring: 15.9 PPG
• +2 +/-
• Team Scoring: 115.1 PPG
• Team Win Percentage: .600

A similar trend occurs on the defensive side of the ball as well. With John Wall in the lineup, the Wizards rank 28th in the NBA in defensive rating at 112.5. As Beal has led the squad over the past month, Washington now boasts a 108.5 defensive rating, good for 9th in the NBA.

While the numbers clearly dictate an improved Beal without Wall, it’s fair to keep in mind Beal’s usage has increased in the absence of Wall. John Wall’s athletic ability and awareness to create plays for teammates is second to none, yet the Wizards’ numbers with him on the sideline are hard to ignore. Despite his scoring tear, Beal sits at 10th in the NBA All-Star voting for Eastern Conference guards.

Regardless of how he is perceived around the league, Bradley Beal is producing All-NBA numbers and has shined as a star among the cloudiness of Washington’s 2018-2019 season.