Washington Wizards: Is Bradley Beal Worth The Max?
Washington Wizards’ shooting guard Bradley Beal is seeking a max contract as a restricted free agent; is he worth that kind of money?
The Washington Wizards had a disappointing 2015-16 season, as they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2012-13. It led to the firing of Randy Whittman as head coach, with Scott Brooks being hired in his place.
With a head coach in place, the attention will turn to building up the roster so that the Wizards can get back into the postseason in the Eastern Conference.
One of the decisions the Wizards will have to make is in regards to shooting guard Bradley Beal. Beal’s rookie contract is up, and he is set to hit restricted free agency July 1.
It would seem to be a no-brainer that Beal would return to the Wizards, but his intention of landing a max contract could complicate things.
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Beal has made it clear that he wants a max contract, and feels that he is a max contract player. Here is what he had to say to Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post about his impending restricted free agency.
"“I want to be valued the right way. I feel like I’m a max player and that’s what I’m looking for. If Washington can’t meet that requirement then I may be thinking elsewhere. I’m pretty sure that they probably won’t [let me go]. At the end of the day, that’s where I want to be. I think a deal will probably get done but you just never know.”"
Beal is not lacking any confidence in himself with that statement, but is he truly worth the max? Based on his health track record, the answer would be no.
Beal has battled injuries throughout his NBA career, as the most games he has appeared in during a regular season is 73. He has appeared in only 247 out of a possible 328 regular season games, which comes out to only 61.75 games per season.
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That would be a tough pill to swallow, as Beal has missed essentially a quarter of every NBA season he has played in.
We have seen in the past what handing out a big contract to an injury-prone shooting guard can do; ask the New Orleans Pelicans, formerly the New Orleans Hornets, how that went with Eric Gordon.
Gordon signed an offer sheet with the Phoenix Suns, which was matched by the Pelicans. It is fair to question if the Pelicans regret that decision, as Gordon spent almost half his contract on the sidelines instead of on the court.
But, the health is the only true knock against Beal right now. It is also something he does not seem to be overly concerned with, saying:
"“I hear about it all time, but that doesn’t define me as a player. That won’t stop me from growing as a player and it won’t stop me from being who I am. The injury thing, that’s behind me. I’m moving forward. I’m past it.”"
There is a lot to like about Beal as a player outside of his health concerns. He is an elite three-point shooter, something that has become a premium in today’s NBA. He is a capable ball handler, and plays extremely well off of Wall because of his skill set.
Beal also steps up when it matters most, as he performs better when the lights are bright on the playoff stage compared to the regular season.
Beal has solid averages of 16 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steal per game in the regular season, but in the postseason he is a totally different player. In the postseason, Beal has averages of 21.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
Beal could stand to be more aggressive, as he settles for too many mid-range jump shots, which is arguably the weakest part of his offensive game. When you shoot the ball as well as Beal does, cutting down on mid-range jumpers and long-twos in favor of three-pointers would make sense.
There are some people that believe that has something to do with Whittman, who wasn’t the most inventive offensive mind around.
Brooks struggled at times drawing up plays offensively when with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he got the ball into his best players hands and let them go to work, which could bode well for Beal.
While the injury concerns are legitimate, Beal has so many positives it would be hard to say he does not deserve a max contract. Already one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA, Beal still has plenty of room to develop as he won’t turn 23 years old until June 28.
While potentially paying Beal $21.6 million, the projected amount for a player with zero to six years of experience for a max contract, could be detrimental if he plays only 62 games a season, it is worth the risk.
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Beal, on talent alone, is worth a max contract as he has proven that he will not wilt on the biggest of stages, and the Wizards will not find a player capable of filling the hole should they let Beal walk as a restricted free agent.