The Washington Wizards have had a rough season, but they have the chance to change course in Orlando. If they win enough games, and things go their way, they can secure their ticket to the playoffs.
But it will be hard for them to do much of anything without their best player, Bradley Beal, who (for reasons previously unknown) decided to skip the restart and stay home.
He isn’t the only notable name to refuse a return the court, but he is one of the few who didn’t really explain his decision. Well, during an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio, Beal’s agent Mark Bartelstein finally explained why his client is going to be absent from Orlando.
“If they were legit championship contenders this year, I’m sure there would’ve been a little bit of a different conversation,” said Bartelstein. “It’s just, you have to measure the risk and reward.
“I don’t want to diminish the opportunity the Wizards have now. This is a big moment for them. To make the playoffs it would turn around a season where it was gonna be a rebuild in a lot of ways. I don’t think that anybody thought they’d have a chance to be a playoff team.”
https://twitter.com/SiriusXMNBA/status/1283023692151304194
It seems Beal isn’t confident in his team’s chances to make a meaningful run during this Orlando restart. The risk of injury or of contracting COVID apparently outweighed the possibility of making the postseason.
While he’s not wrong to doubt the Wizards’ chances, his teammates must not be feeling very good about having their star player just give up on them like that.
For now, it’s hard to imagine the Wizards holding the decision against Beal, as he is the face of the franchise and no outward feelings of negativity have been expressed. But if his choice says anything about what to expect from this team in Orlando, we probably shouldn’t be too optimistic.
