The final 25 of ESPN’s top 100 players for the upcoming season were released. The Washington Wizards had one person represented in the first 75 players that were released earlier. There was one Wizards player that we knew who had to crack the top 25; and that was Bradley Beal.
Beal is coming off a down season, as he dealt with a statistical decline and injury, which sidelined him for most of the season. However, his talent and accomplishments, will still have him in the upper echelon of players in the league today.
After averaging 30 plus points per game, ESPN had him ranked as the 11th best player in the league coming into last season; just one spot away from top 10 status. Unfortunately, his play and injury from last season would not keep him at that same ranking or better.
ESPN put Bradley Beal at the 19th spot, as he barely cracks the top 20. This is an eight spot difference from the previous season, but is still an accomplishment.
Beal has been an elite player over the last few years, especially in the scoring department.
Most Points by a player Over the Last 5 Years
— NBA World (@NBAW0RLD24) September 24, 2022
9,859 — James Harden
9,584 — Giannis Antetokounmpo
8,630 — Damian Lillard
8,503 — Bradley Beal pic.twitter.com/apt4g33auV
However, Beal has struggled to lead the Wizards to a lot of victories in the last couple of years. That should not hinder who Beal truly is to the fans of this game. He is magnificent and ESPN is aware of that notion.
Some notable names that he was ahead of were Anthony Davis, Chris Paul, and Donovan Mitchell. Rudy Gobert and Jimmy Butler are the first two names ahead of Beal, respectively. Bradley Beal is in a class of NBA players that a lot of people cannot reach.
It is good to see the Wizards to have someone in the top 20 of a best players list for the NBA. This list is not the official rankings for the league, but it is a nice reflection of who people might believe are the best guys to lace them up for the 2022-23 season.