Just like the rest of us, Bradley Beal has a blog now. On Tuesday, he wrote his first post, in which he talks about how the season is going, has high praise for new coach Scott Brooks and the culture he’s instilled, and notes the Wizards’ ability to play with anybody in the Eastern Conference.
The most important detail, though, comes from Beal’s description of the confidence boost Brooks has given him. According to Beal, Brooks is so sure of his guard’s ability as a shooter that he wants the St. Louis native to take 20 3-pointers in a game.
He made a bet with me at the start of the year that I won’t shoot 20 threes in a game. Like, he actually wants me to shoot 20 or more threes, and if I do, he wins. So that’s just one example of what I mean when I say he believes in us as players.
Beal is in the midst of the best season of his young career, putting up 22.9 points per game while firing off 7.2 triples a night, each of which are career-highs. And so far, the extra volume hasn’t hurt his efficiency, with Beal shooting a career-best 48.1 percent from the field, and just under 40 percent from behind the arc. The increased freedom from Brooks is certainly having a positive affect on Beal’s performance this year.
But even with the ultimate green light, Beal still hasn’t let 20 triples fly in one game yet. The closest he came was back in early February, when he went 6-14 from downtown on the way to 41 points in the epic overtime matchup against the Cavaliers which everyone remembers for LeBron’s ridiculous buzzer-beating three at the end of regulation.
With 21 games left on the regular season schedule though, and plenty for Beal and the Wizards still to prove, coach Brooks may still win his bet.
