Bradley Beal is back on the injured list once again. The Washington Wizards' $254 million man managed to play just 13 minutes against the Milwaukee Bucks before he aggravated a lingering hamstring injury that had just forced him to miss the previous three games.
Beal has been missing for nearly 40 percent of the Wizards' games due to either injury or Covid this season – the first under his new supermax extension that he signed in the offseason. The frustration is evident, both for the fan base and the three-time All-Star, Josh Robbins on The Athletic:
“It’s tough,” Bradley Beal said of his injury after the game. “It’s frustrating. I always preach, ‘Your best ability is your availability,’ and I haven’t been that. That piece is definitely frustrating, but I have to stay encouraged and understand that there’s still more that I can contribute to the game, be here for my teammates and just make sure that I’m 100 percent before I go back out here. It’s tough because we’re playing good ball. I want to be a part of that. I want to help the team win, continue to build on what we have going — our momentum.”
The Wizards are five games under .500 after seeing their five-game winning streak broken by the Bucks. Yet they find themselves right in the thick of the play-in tournament hunt. They currently hold the 10th seed, tied with the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors for the spot.
Questions remain about what the team's true ceiling is even with Bradley Beal free from injury. His name continues to be in trade rumors as a target for teams looking for a secondary star. Whether or not he stays or goes down the line, the Wizards need him healthy as possible.
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