The Washington Wizards will get their star back on Wednesday.
Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Bradley Beal will return to the lineup against the New York Knicks on Wednesday. Beal missed the team's last five games due to a left hamstring injury he sustained against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.
For a team that's only two games back from the 10th seed and a spot in the play-in tournament, Beal's hamstring couldn't have healed at a better time. Especially as it looked as if Beal would still be out against the Knicks just a day before.
The Wizards reeled in Beal's absence, going 1-4 and only narrowly defeating the sub-.500 Chicago Bulls in their lone victory during that stretch.
A three-time All-Star, Beal has been the franchise's playmaking engine since 2018-19. He's averaging 27.4 points and 5.5 assists per game since supplanting John Wall as the franchise cornerstone.
Trying to take advantage of Beal's greatness, the Wizards have made several transactions to provide him with a stronger supporting cast in recent seasons. Their decisions to acquire a player like forward Kyle Kuzma is particularly notable due to his offensive potential.
Yet, even when factoring in the growth of players like former lottery pick Rui Hachimura, Washington just hasn't been good enough without their leader.
Beal has missed 20 total games this season, so for the Wizards to be a truly competitive team, his availability will have to improve drastically. Nonetheless, Beal has proven himself to be one of the best offensive talents in the league and averaged 30.0 points per game the last time Washington made it to the postseason.
Tonight, when Beal takes the court, could be the start of a drastic momentum change for the Wizards.
Tune into the game at 7:30 EST.
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