Packing a one-two punch in the league is never an easy thing for an NBA team.
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. There's always someone forced to take a back seat to the top dog — who's Batman and who's Robin? It's an ego trip.
The Washington Wizards are now experiencing this very problem as John Wall has admitted to having some tense moments with his teammate Bradley Beal.
“I think a lot of times we have a tendency to dislike each other on the court,” Wall told CSN's Chris Miller. “We got to be able to put that to the side. If you miss somebody on one play or don’t have something go right… as long as you come to each other and talk. If I starting arguing with somebody I’m cool. I’m just playing basketball.”
Wall received a five-year, $80-million max deal back in 2013. Beal was inked to a max deal of his own, netting him $128 million over five years.
The $48-million difference between the two contracts is mainly due to the recent expansion of the NBA salary cap that kicked in this very offseason.
Regardless, Wall feels it's time for Beal to earn his superstar contract.
“Now that you have your money you got to go out there and improve your game. I want you to be an All-Star just as much as I’m an All-Star. If we were playing well as a tandem like the other two superstars that play together as a backcourt, play as a tandem, one night it’s going to be his night, one night it’s going to be mine, some nights it might be both of us. Those are nights it’s going to be tough to beat us,” said Wall.
Wall is spot on and the numbers from last season prove it, also evidenced by his three straight All-Star appearances while Beal has none.
“I want it all to be on me. At the same time I want him to be right there with me. He’s my sidekick. I’m A. He’s A-1. He’s right there,” Wall said.
While Wall spins a team-oriented tension, it's obvious the money aspect will be the elephant in the locker room.
Wall feels he's the Batman of this situation and the numbers don't lie. His performance across the board shows that he's been the superior player on the court.
With that said, these players are paid to play together and there's no mistaking that their games compliment each other very well.
Wall is an aggressive scorer who is growing wiser every year and getting his teammates more involved, as evidenced by his 10.2 assists per game.
Beal on the other hand is a sharpshooter that's never shot below 40% from deep in his NBA career. He's a strong finisher with a complete array of shots in his arsenal.
Nothing cures tension better than winning, and if these Wizards can find a way to get to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, this dynamic duo will soon leave the tension in the rearview mirror.
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