Kelley L. Cox – US PRESSWIRE
It took a while for Bradley Beal to get going. The beginning of the season started off nothing like the Washington Wizards or Beal could have ever imagined. Without John Wall and Nene Hilario to begin the season the Wizards stumbled right out of the starting gates. Their 3rd overall pick struggled right along with them. After A.J. Price broke a bone in his hand and Jordan Crawford replaced him as the lead guard, things looked bleak. Now, a month before the All Star, Beal has finally found his groove.
The groove began before the return of Wall. The confidence started to show slowly but suddenly. After hitting a three-pointer against the Brooklyn Nets to send that game into overtime and then hitting the game winner against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Beal let the rest of the league know he was here. Once Wall returned to action we all saw why the Wizards drafted Beal to combine with Wall, to be the back court of now and the future.
Beal won Rookie Of The Month for the month of December but he is playing some of his basketball these last 10 games. His shooting percentages are up, his jump shot looks pure, he is also playing his heart out on the defensive end. He ranks at the top of charts in almost every statical category pertaining to rookies. It is time to start thinking about Beal as a Rookie Of The Year Candidate. With Wall back in the mix and the two already clicking, the future looks even brighter for Beal. He is facing stiff competition from Damian Lillard and of course Anthony Davis but Beal should be right in the mix.
