Despite averaging 25.6 points, 5.5 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game, Bradley Beal did not earn enough votes to make the All-NBA Team. The NBA announced the All-NBA Team Thursday.
Beal finished just shy of making the team, which chooses six guards, six forwards, and three centers for it’s three levels of teams.
Stephen Curry, James Harden were the guards of choice for the first-team. Damian Lillard and Kyrie Irving made the second-team. Russell Westbrook and Kemba Walker made the third-team.
Beal finished seventh in the voting among guards. He even best Golden State’s Klay Thompson and the Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons. But, it was Walker of the Charlotte Hornets that edged the Washington Wizards shooting guard out.
Statistically speaking, along with impact, Beal was the second-best shooting guard in the league this season behind Harden, who is a candidate to win his second NBA MVP award. However, the voting process eliminates specific positions, and only accounts for guards.
Five points guards were chosen for the three teams. Beal was among six players to average 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists, however, he was the only one not to make an All-NBA team. The Wizards’ struggling 32-50 season presumably played a factor in the voting process.
Only Walker did not make the playoffs this season, but his Hornets’ team finished seven games better than the Wizards and just missed out on the playoffs.
Missing out on the All-NBA keeps Beal from earning a supermax extension this summer that would have put him in line for a deal worth roughly $194 million over four years.
Washington avoids having to dish out a second supermax contract. John Wall signed his $170 million contract extension back in the summer of 2017 after he earned All-NBA honors. His deal is set to start in the 2019-2020 season that will pay him an annual average of $42.7 million over the next four seasons.
Beal has two more seasons left on current $127.1 million, five-year contract. He still can qualify for the supermax extension next season, if he makes an All-NBA team.
