Wizards Season Grades: Bradley Beal didn’t meet Expectations

Bradley Beal could have left fans feeling much better about the financial commitment the Wizards are likely going to make to him very soon.  Instead, his season ended early and he didn’t play well enough before the season-ending injury.

Coming into the 2021-22 NBA season, Beal was fresh off back-to-back campaigns in which he averaged over 30 points per game. With Russell Westbrook no longer in the picture, it was obviously going to look a little different stat-wise for Beal.

As the face of the franchise and someone who must be a team leader, Beal was going to have to figure out what adjustments would be needed on the court and make sure the team played as best it could.

He didn’t commit to the leadership role he needed to establish himself in and inevitably it turned out to be one of the many reasons the Wizards struggled all season long. As ‘The Guy’ on the team, it’s unacceptable to come up short both on the court and in the locker room as Beal did. It also happened right before the Wizards have a key decision to make for the future of the franchise that is strictly about keeping him or moving on.

Bradley Beal Season Grade: C-

At the end of the day, it was a disappointing season for Beal.  Across 40 games he averaged 23.2 points per game while shooting a career-worst 30 percent from behind the arc. The injury was unfortunate ad presented him from turning around his numbers a little bit.

More painful for Wizards fans, it prevented him from seeing the court with Kristaps Porzingis. The lack of ability to see what the duo looks like and allow them to build some chemistry was the nail in the coffin that made the season officially a lost one for both Beal and the Wizards.