Washington Wizards WizKid Player Of The Week: Bradley Beal
It has been a week of melancholy play from the Washington Wizards. With each passing game, they seem to have their bodies on the court but their minds are already starting to look at the offseason.
With their playoff hopes slowly starting to slip away, it is not only time for players to fight for the eighth seed, it is time to see what each and every guy is made of.
Fortunately, one player seems to want to prove something to his team and himself–Bradley Beal. It is his constant ability to not give up that have made Beal the Washington Wizards WizKid Player of the Week.
Like his team, Beal has had an unfortunate roller-coaster season this year. Battling multiple injuries this year, Beal has been able to show the rest of the league that he and All-Star point guard John Wall could be a one of the premiere backcourts in the NBA.
On a positive note, Beal was able to string a pretty good catalog of games where his mark was definitely made against his opponents. Averaging 17.5 points, 4.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds last week showed his tenacity and will to never give up. Especially with all he has had to endure this season.
Beal started his showing against the backcourt and team most aspire to be in the league, the Golden State Warriors. It would be a tough matchup in Oracle Arena last Tuesday. As the Wizards fought hard but eventually would succumb to the onslaught the Warriors put in the fourth quarter in a 102-94 loss. However, Beal was no slouch, putting up 17 points and 4 assists to contribute to his team.
Up next would be a trap against an already dysfunctional bunch in the Sacramento Kings. It was a prime game for the Wizards to get a win to build back confidence and ensure themselves as the legitimate threat to claiming the final playoff spot. Needless to say, the team laid an egg and were defeated by the hapless Kings 120-111.
Beal made sure to make his presence known, scoring 24 points on the outing. But even he detected emptiness in the team as he expressed how he felt after the loss.
“I guess we kind of figure we’re already in the playoffs for some reason.” His words spoke volumes and put everyone on the team on notice. “It’s either that or we just want to get to the offseason. As far as why I have no idea. If guys don’t want to play they need to sit down,” according to J. Michael of csnmidatlantic.com.
Their next game against the Phoenix Suns would show if anyone listened to what Beal had to express about the team’s lack of effort. And it would seem the team responded very well, defeating the Suns 106-99 as Beal scored 21 points and dished out five helpers.
Their last stop on their Western Conference road trip would be a Sunday matchup in the Staples Center against the Los Angeles Clippers. All eyes were in the return of Blake Griffin. And like their week, Beal finished with an unlikely showing of eight points in a 114-109 loss.
Despite flaming out, Beal’s showing creates promise for what can be down the stretch of five games left in the season. And whether the Washington Wizards make the playoffs or not, it’s nice to know key players such as Beal aren’t willing to just lay down and die before the season is over. Which is part of make makes him WizKid Player of the Week.