5. Bradley Beal
Okay, hear me out here about our boy Bradley Beal. He’s having a career year, top-5 in scoring and dishing out more assists, scoring more points, and getting to the line more than ever before in his career.
Yes, he’s also turning the ball over more and shooting the worst percentage from beyond the arc (32.2) of his career, but the guy is putting on a clinic statistically and willing victories for his team, at times.
So what does he have to improve? The answer here is leadership.
Even while he’s crushing it on the court, the Washington Wizards have a glaring hole when it comes to leadership on and off the court with John Wall sidelined. This is the time for 26-year-old Bradley Beal to step up, grow up, and help these young guys learn.
While he certainly must have known what this season would be like without Wall, he’s complained very publicly about his frustration with the team and losing basketball games. It wasn’t a good look for him, in my opinion, but the Wizards were playing their best ball of the season before the all-star break and perhaps sounding off served as a kind of wake up call.
Beal has to understand that this is all about next season, and the return of John Wall. Instead of complaining, he should be using his time now to direct what happens on the basketball court and facilitate all the other names on this list (and others) in their growth as basketball players and as young men.
What would a jump look like? A playoff appearance and a win against the Milwaukee Bucks, realistically the best case scenario.
Who else made the jump? Beal’s buddy, John Wall.