3. Managing Bradley Beal’s minutes effectively
Bradley Beal is arguably the most powerful offensive weapon in the Washington Wizards’ arsenal this season and he might be the loudest voice in the locker room. Before the 2019-20 season started, he agreed to a two-year, $72 million maximum contract extension with Washington, ensuring he will be kept out of free agency for three years.
The St. Louis native and former Florida star committed to the Wizards’ management rebuilding the core players and culture of the team by making this decision. He expressed his thoughts to The Washington Post about what will be an upward climb for the Wiz to become Eastern Conference contenders.
"“I love the fact that we’re young. It’ll be a challenge. It won’t be easy. It’ll be a lot of bumps in the road. But I think now I’m at a place where I can be at peace with it and I can be patient with it and understand that it’ll be a lot on my shoulders. But I’m ready for it.”"
As the Wizards form their team identity this season and the emerging talent continues to develop, Beal will play an important role as a leader and mentor, both on and off the court.
Still, Scott Brooks and the Wizards’ coaching staff must create a balance between enabling Beal to make an impact in games and providing opportunities for each young addition to establish their game and gain experience in the league.
An important way to offer this balance is by ensuring Beal’s workload is carefully managed. Load management for Beal, the team’s cornerstone at this moment, is essential to ensure proper rest and avoid the pitfalls of possibly suffering an injury.
Brooks and the Wizards’ assistant coaches tried exactly that, conserving Beal’s minutes as best they could, withstanding his ejection late in the game. The 6’3″ shooting guard played 32 minutes against the Mavericks, contributing 19 points, nine assists, six rebounds and three steals.
The 32 minutes Beal played in the Wizards’ opener is slightly less than the 36.9 minutes per game he averaged during the 2018-2019 season. Keep in mind that Beal played 30 or more minutes in 71 games last year and 40 minutes or more in 22 of those 71 matchups.
Keeping competitive in the standings, and ideally, the playoff race is paramount for the Wizards. But maintaining Beal’s health and energy for a full season and offering room for Thomas Bryant, Rui Hachimura, Admiral Schofield, Moritz Wagner and Isaac Bonga to improve their play is of greater importance.