Bradley Beal
Age: 22
Height: 6-foot-5
Career stats: 32.8 mpg; 16.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.0 spg, 0.3 bpg; 42.6/39.7/78.1 shooting splits
2015-16 stats: 55 games; 31.1 mpg; 17.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.0 spg, 0.2 bpg; 44.9/38.7/76.7 shooting splits
Strengths:
• Shooting
• Star potential
• Underrated defense
Weaknesses:
• Durability
• Hasn’t made the leap
• Consistency
Why the Warriors make sense:
Beal can be a star in this league. He has all the tools to not only succeed, but also be one of the top guards in the game with his mix of ball handling, pure shooting, and growing defensive ability. For the Warriors, he’s a player who would elevate the team in almost every way, especially as they look for consistent scoring outside of the Splash Brothers. He would fit right into the fast-paced motion offense that Kerr runs and make an instant defensive impact guarding on the perimeter. His outside shooting would likely make him an honorary Splash Brother and it’s hard to imagine any team coping with an outside barrage from Steph, Klay and Beal. His youth means he would be firmly rooted in the Warriors’ future.
Why the Warriors don’t make sense:
Despite oozing potential and boasting impressive tools, Beal has yet to truly put it all together and make the leap into stardom, While undoubtedly an above-average player, Beal’s potential demands a massive price tag for a relatively unknown commodity. He isn’t consistent yet and has failed to exceed his career high of 17.4 points a game despite averaging 30+ minutes his whole career. Most importantly, he hasn’t shown he can last a full NBA season. While he played in 73 games two years ago, he’s registered totals of 55, 56, and 63 in the other three, including a career low 55 in 2015-16. That injury risk uncertainty is something the Warriors can’t afford if they expect to make it to the NBA Finals for a third straight year.