The Los Angeles Clippers‘ latest addition, Bradley Beal, recently sustained a minor knee injury that had restricted his activity during training camp. In more recent events, however, the veteran guard joined the Clippers in a scrimmage. He provided an update on his status after practice while speaking with ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly.
“I bumped today. I scrimmaged today,” Beal responded when asked about his timeline for recovery. “Everything’s been on pace, on target. They’ve been doing a really good job of making sure everything is smooth and making sure there’s no setbacks. We’re all playing right now.”
“It felt really good today to be out there with the guys. It’s always frustrating when you can’t be out there. But I’ve been involved every single day. Whether it’s small segments here and there, offensive drills, defensive drills, just getting the concepts of offensive plays, defensive concepts from JVG, who’s always on my a** every day. So there’s no break for me. So I’m still locked in, still getting my work in. And it’s been good.”
Azarly followed up by asking whether Beal would be prepared for the Clippers’ opening night matchup against the Utah Jazz. The veteran guard simply replied, “That’s the plan.”
Bradley Beal’s update is largely positive, especially in a rather difficult time for the Clippers’ franchise. Given the challenges that have arisen from the ongoing investigations into the contract dealings with Kawhi Leonard, the organization has been placed under a microscope, effectively taking a lot of attention away from the upcoming season.
However, with the three-time All-Star claiming that the team has been locked in, pointing to the recent motivational T-shirts worn by the coaching staff, the Clippers could be in a much better position than anticipated.
Can Bradley Beal Make An Impact With The Clippers?
After a long and tedious contract buyout negotiation with the Phoenix Suns, Bradley Beal found himself joining the Los Angeles Clippers after clearing waivers. Although in a new environment, several reports suggested that the move could be a positive shift for the three-time All-Star.
Beal’s addition in the offseason was viewed as one of the many upgrades the Clippers made to their roster. While the squad already features some immensely talented players, especially with the likes of James Harden and Kawhi Leonard leading the team, adding an offensive threat like Beal could be significant in increasing their overall scoring production.
But can Bradley Beal truly have an impact on the team’s performance?
If his performance with Phoenix is to be considered the baseline, Beal is not at the peak of his career. Although he put up a respectable average of 17.0 points and 3.7 assists on 49.7% shooting from the field and 38.6% from three-point range last season, it doesn’t match his prime output with the Washington Wizards.
The comparison itself seems unfair, since he was effectively a tertiary scoring option on the Suns behind Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. But the situation in Los Angeles is expected to be largely similar, since Leonard and Harden would be the preferred options on offense.
Predicting whether Bradley Beal will be an impactful addition to the Clippers at this stage is challenging. However, if the guard is left to do what he does best, there is enough evidence to suggest that he could be a productive player in the rotation.
