Bradley Beal had a forgettable two-year stint with the Phoenix Suns, and now that he’s found a new home as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, he’s pointing a finger at his former franchise for the way that he was used during his time with the team.
“When you allow me to be that guy, I’ll be that,” Beal said, via The Athletic. “But when you have two coaches that want you to set screens and play in the dunker, you’re not Brad Beal. You’re somebody else.”
Beal’s numbers dropped dramatically with the Suns compared to his previous seasons in Washington, and that was probably discouraging for him. However, it’s fair to wonder what Beal expected when he joined a team that already had Kevin Durant and Devin Booker on the roster.
Obviously, his usage and attempts were going to drop compared to when he was the clear-cut first option in Washington and led the league in field goal attempts in consecutive seasons. When you play with other great players, you have to share the wealth.
“When’s the last time I shot 14 shots for the Suns?” Beal asked rhetorically, trying to make a point.
Unfortunately, the point doesn’t really hold up when you dig into the numbers and see that Beal averaged 13.5 attempts per game during his time in Phoenix. He took 17 shots during his second-to-last game with the Suns back in April. Clearly, Beal’s Suns’ tenure left a bad taste in his mouth, and perhaps he felt like an afterthought there, but facts are facts.
Beal returned to play in Phoenix on Thursday night, but it’s safe to say that he doesn’t harbor especially strong feelings for the city.
“For me, it was — no disrespect to Phoenix — but it was more meaningful for me to go back to D.C. And play, after being there for 11 years and that’s my franchise, you know? I feel like I was more geeked about that than coming back here,” Beal said after the game, a 115-102 Suns win. “There’s no disrespect … but they have their way how they feel.”
It basically sounds like Beal wants to forget about his stint in Phoenix, which works, because fans in Phoenix probably feel the same way. There were extremely high hopes when he was acquired, but he left the franchise without a single playoff victory. Not all trades work out, and for Phoenix, bringing in Beal is an example of one that didn’t.