Bradley Beal is now a member of the Phoenix Suns. Traded to Phoenix after 11 seasons with the Washington Wizards, Beal is not only will have a new team, but he’ll have a new role.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Beal expects to be the Suns’ starting point guard entering training camp. Beal’s friend, and St. Louis area native, Jordan Goodwin, will serve as the backup point guard.
Goodwin was part of the trade that Beal to Phoenix for Chris Paul, the Suns’ primary point guard for the past three seasons.
The opportunity for Beal and Goodwin got created on Sunday after the Suns traded Cameron Payne to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-team deal that included the Orlando Magic.
Beal has primarily been a shooting guard throughout his career. He played his first seven seasons alongside John Wall. At his peak, Wall was one of the better point guards in the league.
Beal played one season next to Russell Westbrook, a former NBA MVP. Last season, Beal was part of a system that allowed him to be a ball handler. Monte Morris conceded some of the ball-handling duties.
Next season may look the same for Beal. Charania notes the Suns’ rotation will consist of multiple ball handlers able to initiate the offense. Expect Kevin Durant and Devin Booker to have opportunities to lead the offense. Recently pick up Eric Gordon also may factor in the rotation at point guard.
Booker stepped in as the primary ball-handler when Paul was out of the lineup. Booker averaged a career-high 6.8 assists in 2018-19. Last season he averaged 5.5 dimes.
Bradley Beal has increased his assists in the last four seasons. He averaged 5.5 assists during the 2018-19 season while Wall’s string of injuries started. The following year, Beal had 6.1 assists per game as Wall sat out the entire season with an Achilles tear.
The addition of Westbrook in 2020-21 dropped Beal to 4.4 dimes per game. Beal averaged a career-high 6.6 assists in 2021-22. Spencer Dinwiddie got brought in on a three-year contract that offseason. But a struggle with team chemistry resulted in Dinwiddie getting traded in the first year of the deal.
Last season, Beal averaged 5.4 assists — in the same ballpark as Booker. Beal’s handles have not always been up to par during his time in Washington, particularly in late-game situations that cost the Wizards’ games. So, while he may have the ball in his hand a bit more, clutch moments may come down to who the shot is designed for between Beal, Durant, and Booker.
