Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal will be returning tonight vs. Charlotte, as made official by the team.
The Suns’ injury report released on Thursday evening officially upgraded the star guard to questionable before the team made it official earlier today:
While the Suns have a potential litany of concerns moving forward, the return of Beal could potentially cover up some, if not most of them.
First and foremost in the fray is Beal can actively take pressure off Devin Booker in on-ball situations.
While Booker is a vastly improved playmaker and thrives in doses at the point, he shouldn’t be thrusted into that rule on a full-time basis.
Booker’s focus on facilitating Phoenix’s offense takes away from what he does best – scoring at all three levels.
He can still be a great scorer regardless, but “Point Book” feels off-kilter as a bucket-getter compared to when he’s in his more natural two-guard spot.
Beal and Booker both remain two of the best off-ball players in the entire NBA, so the two can theoretically seamlessly switch off on a possession-by-possession basis.
Another thing Beal brings to the table is his own three-level scoring.
While Booker, Kevin Durant, Eric Gordon, and Grayson Allen have all pressured the rim at rates higher than last season, it simply isn’t enough in the current NBA landscape.
Beal has the cleanest reputation of anyone on the Suns as an overall scorer. He utilizes nifty handles and a quick first step to get to the hoop, while also being a plus-shooter.
Beal has shot 42.9% from three this season, albeit in a small sample on fairly low volume. It’s reasonable to believe that stout percentage can be sustainable despite the lack of a true sample.
While the former Washington Wizardz guard had some of his worst shooting seasons in his last years before moving to Phoenix, much of that can be attributed to the poor spacing he was handed.
He will have ample opportunity at great catch-and-shoot looks going forward alongside the Durant/Booker duo. Expect the three-point marksmanship to become a lasting strength of Beal’s game as a third option.
Lastly, he adds a layer of proportion to the Suns’ depth. One of Grayson Allen or Eric Gordon (perhaps even both) would be sent to the bench.
Coach Vogel would have noticeably more flexibility when it comes to his lineups – he could stagger minutes with one or both of Gordon/Allen with one or two of the star players.
The newfound flexibility would instantly make the Suns tougher to prepare for and tougher to defend as the season quickly approaches the halfway point.
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