Is Bradley Beal a point guard? Finding out more about the newest Suns star
Bradley Beal finds is leaving the Washington Wizards after an incredible 11-year stint. As he heads to the Phoenix Suns to team up with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, let's take a look at his position of choice.
Beal is a prototypical shooting guard. Standing at 6' 4" and weighing in at a little over 205 lb, he's quite suited for the two guard position. Having come into the league in the 2012-13 season, Beal was paired with Wizards star guard John Wall, who was a point. Although the two were similar in size, Wall played the role of point guard owing to his skillset.
It meant that Beal often played the role of a flat-out scorer and bucket-getter. This aspect of his game only developed over the course of his career as Beal gradually developed into a volume shooter with a nose for scoring.
The Phoenix Suns acquired the star guard by trading Chris Paul, Landry Shamet and a handful of second-round picks and pick swaps. Beal will be coming onboard a team without a traditional playmaker on the roster.
BREAKING: The Washington Wizards are finalizing a trade to send All-Star G Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns, sources tell ESPN. Beal’s waiving his no-trade to form a new Big 3 with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Teams are still working thru framework, but Beal is headed to Suns. https://t.co/0lQrSh370q
Will the Suns expect Bradley Beal to take over playmaking duties? That seems highly unlikely. Considering his style of play, forcing Beal to play point would be counterproductive.
With a lot of roster holes to fill, the Suns will need to make securing a point guard a priority.
How does Bradley Beal fit on the Phoenix Suns?
As things stand, the Phoenix Suns have five players under contract. Other than Bradley Beal, the Suns have Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Cameron Payne.
The Suns likely have a three-guard rotation at the moment, with Payne running point. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as Payne has proven himself to be a fairly competent playmaker.
However, the trouble stems from the type of offense the team could run under new coach Frank Vogel. With three immensely gifted scorers, Vogel will need to create a system each star would be content with.
That could prove to be quite a challenge, though. It's evident that Durant and Booker are still extremely versatile as a scorer and playmaker, respectively. However, it's evident that Beal will be receiving far fewer looks and touches than he's used to.
The Suns are likely to make more moves to strengthen the roster. With Malcolm Brogdon and John Collins listed as targets, Phoenix has a long offseason ahead.