Bradley Beal has shown up just on time.
The Los Angeles Clippers will play their final game of the NBA preseason on Friday night against the Golden State Warriors. And for the first time, Beal is slated to be out there with them.
On Friday morning, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported:
"Los Angeles Clippers star Bradley Beal (knee) is to expected to make his preseason debut tonight in exhibition finale against Golden State Warriors, league sources tell me."
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This will be Beal's first time on the court with Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and the rest of an incredibly deep and talented Clippers roster.
It's not clear whether Beal will be ready for a full allotment of minutes either in this game or when the regular season arrives next week, but back in game action is much better than still waiting for that.
Beal has the potential to be a major swing piece for how the Clippers' season goes. At his best, he's still a really talented scorer and playmaker.
But in his recent past, Beal has been less efficient and less impactful on winning.
The Clippers don't need Beal to be a superstar. They have so much talent, including multiple players who are unquestionably ahead of him in the pecking order.
But L.A. wouldn't have sought out Beal if they didn't believe he could still be a key piece to reaching some big goals this season.
This preseason finale will be the first chance to see it in action. If Beal can play mostly like the best version of himself, it'll be a big boost to the Clippers this season.
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