In the midst of John Wall's absence, backcourt mate Bradley Beal has been the Washington Wizards' go-to man for the past month, as the team has relied into the All-Star shooting guard to be the No. 1 scoring option, but the well has run dry in the last few games, resulting in a three-game losing skid.
Beal has scored 53 points within the last three games, but he has looked increasingly tired after the All-Star break, which has brought a reason for concern for coach Scott Brooks after playing him for 43 minutes on Sunday night.
“I have to do a better job,” Brooks said, sharing his reaction to Beal admitting that he was “tired” following the 98-95 loss to the Indiana Pacers, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. “Forty-three is a big number, especially if it’s not a national televised game. Those games are different because it seems like there are 10-minute timeouts. But I think he’s comfortable with 37 to 38.”
“[I] try to keep him at 36, but we’re only talking about a few minutes. Everybody’s tired. If you play hard, you should be tired. … It’s just part of playing hard. It’s part of being on a good team. It’s part of being in a winning environment.”
The Wizards have been in a tough stretch, with losses against the Golden State Warriors, the Toronto Raptors, and the Pacers, now mired into sixth place in a tight Eastern Conference race.
Beal has played over his 36-minute soft minutes cap in nine games since the start of February, including five 40-plus minute outings.
The recent signing of Ramon Sessions to a second 10-day contract should allow Brooks to ease off Beal's legs and allow for some extra minutes off the floor.
Follow Us
Subscribe