Hoops Habit
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NBA: Off-season weakness each star should have worked on

By Josh Cornelissen

Mar 22, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) chats with Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) during the first half of an NBA game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) chats with Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) during the first half of an NBA game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards. Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images /

28. Bradley Beal, SG, Washington Wizards – Defense. Any Defense.

Bradley Beal is one of the league’s premier scorers, combining solid efficiency with elite volume to produce two consecutive 30-points-per-game seasons. Similarly to LaVine, Beal has become a good passer, but his focus has been on increasing his impact as a scorer and that has absolutely borne fruit.

Unfortunately Beal has completely neglected the other end of the court. He is one of the league’s worst defenders, a player who dies on screens, loses his man off-ball and can easily be beat in space. He clearly devotes all of his attention and energy to scoring on offense, and it results in a player who gives up on defense much of what he provides as a scorer.

The Wizards have escaped from salary cap purgatory, over the course of two seasons flipping John Wall’s mammoth contract for Russell Westbrook, and then sending Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers for a collection of solid rotation players. This roster offers potential built on legitimate depth, and it needs Beal to buy in on both ends of the court to maximize it. He doesn’t have to do everything on offense anymore; hopefully he spent some time this offseason working on the mirror end of his game.