Bradley Beal has made a name for himself as a premier scorer in the league at the shooting guard position, but if this season has proven anything, it’s that you need to be ready to step out of your comfort zone.
That’s what Beal had to do, as he had to step in as the starting point guard with Spencer Dinwiddie currently in the health and safety protocols.
“I knew what tonight was going to be,” Beal said after Saturday night’s game. “It was I had to run the show and had to understand I was going to have to get guys shots. It was kind of that balance between figuring out when to be aggressive and when to get guys shots.”
To Beal’s credit, he dished out a career-high 17 assists while still managing to put up 27 points. Beal spoke at length about how his usual role changed.
“When you’re playing the point, you’ve gotta run a team. You have to get guys into the offense, you have to get guys into position, you’ve gotta get guys shots, you’ve gotta talk, you’ve gotta be engaged, you’ve gotta encourage,” Beal said. “You’re the head of the snake at all times. It was fun, it was fun. I enjoyed it. There was definitely a lot I can learn from that. If it happens again, I’ll be ready.”
Beal is definitely most effective when he can focus in on scoring more than anything else, but there’s never been a doubt that he can step in as a point guard given his playmaking and leadership skills.
