Bradley Beal is reportedly going to be missing in action for Washington. (USATSI)
Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal hurt his wrist on Friday against the Charlotte Hornets, and this could be a real problem. The team announced on Saturday that an MRI revealed a non-displaced fracture of the scaphoid bone in his left wrist, which will require surgery. There's no official timetable on his return, but reports from NBA.com and USA Today indicate that Beal will be sidelined for six to eight weeks. This is obviously a setback for a team that believes it has the best backcourt in the league.
Beal missed 26 games as a rookie and 13 in his second season. He broke out in the postseason, showing star potential on the biggest stage of his young career. This was supposed to be the year when he stayed healthy, challenged for an All-Star spot and helped Washington become a powerhouse in the East. It can still be a great season for Beal and the Wizards, but this takes away some of their momentum after a surprisingly successful playoff run.
How can they make up for Beal's absence? For one, it's a great thing that they acquired Paul Pierce in the offseason. While departed small forward Trevor Ariza is the superior defender, Pierce is a much better and more versatile scorer. Even this late in his career, the soon-to-be 37-year-old should still be able to create offense for himself and others consistently. This will take some pressure off of point guard John Wall, who would have otherwise had to shoulder the vast majority of the playmaking responsibility. Still, Wall will use more possessions than normal, and big man Nene will likely see extra touches in the high post.
If swingman Martell Webster was healthy, he'd slide right into the starting lineup at shooting guard. He's recovering from back surgery, though, so it's unclear what Washington will do. Head coach Randy Wittman could play Pierce at shooting guard and put sophomore Otto Porter in at small forward. Glen Rice Jr., also going into his second year, is another option on the wing. Both looked mighty impressive in summer league -- if there is a silver lining here for the Wizards, it's that they'll be given a chance to build some confidence with meaningful minutes. Neither is likely to replicate Beal's production, however, and there's little depth behind them.
Washington has high hopes, but has a shortage of players who can spot up and put the ball on the floor. This doesn't change the big picture for the Wizards, but in the short term it looks like it's now about staying afloat until Beal returns.
Basketball Hot News
Klay Thompson prefers contract extension now over more lucrative long-term deal in the future
Klay Thompson is an important part of the Warriors future, a competent two-guard who excels on both ends of the floor, and has proven to be a more than solid backcourt partner playing alongside Stephen Curry in Golden State.
After dangling Thompson in trade talks for Kevin Love before ultimately deciding that Thompson was a better fit from a basketball standpoint for the current roster, the Warriors have a large financial commitment to make. It’ll either happen with an extension before Oct. 31, or next summer, when Thompson becomes an unrestricted free agent.
With the new broadcast rights deal not kicking in until 2016, Thompson could do what LeBron James and Kevin Love did, which is sign short-term deals with opt-outs after this season in order to maximize future earnings. But his focus is gaining financial security now, as opposed to going through multiple years of negotiations.
From J.A. Adande of ESPN.com:
If Thompson wants in on the gold rush on the horizon, he could always sign a one-year deal, then become a restricted free agent in 2016.
“It really is tempting to do all that,” Thompson said. “But I’d rather have the security right now, you know?” …
The Warriors could actually be the ones gaining security from a max deal right now. Locking in Thompson could seem like a bargain once the NBA revenues roll up in a couple of years. Early projections have the 2016-17 salary cap estimated at almost $90 million (it’s at $63 million this season). The Warriors could have their backcourt of Thompson and Stephen Curry for under $30 million combined, which would be about 30 percent of the salary cap. Compare that to the 50 to 57 percent of the cap that duos such as Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose/Joakim Noah and Dwight Howard/James Harden eat up this season, and imagine the flexibility that would give the Warriors to build around their stellar guards in 2016-17.
That last part is especially intriguing, and should have Warriors fans giddy at the mere thought of it.
Curry’s four-year, $44 million deal is an insane bargain by NBA standards, mainly because he signed it in 2012 after being limited by ankle injuries the previous season. Thompson will make significantly more than that on his next contract, but with the salary cap continuing to rise, the effect his deal will have on the future flexibility of the franchise will be minimal, at best.
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