WASHINGTON (AP) — About a week before the season even started, the city council in Washington weighed in on Bradley Beal's return to the Wizards.
It made Oct. 11 “Bradley Beal Day” as a way of honoring his contributions to the community.
Now Beal has a chance to show his importance to the city on the court. When the Wizards host Chicago on Friday night, it will be his first home game since signing a five-year contract to stay in Washington during the offseason. It will also be his first home game since January, before a wrist injury ended his 2021-22 season early. Coming back from that was the big thing on Beal's mind this week.
“I’m just excited to hoop," he said. "I haven’t hooped in a long time.”
That injury could have ended his tenure in Washington, but he signed worth up to $251 million to remain with the team. Beal that winning a championship with the Wizards would mean more than doing it on a super team with several other stars.
That decision should only enhance his popularity in Washington, where he's played his entire career, but as he enters his 11th season, there's also pressure on both him and the team. The Wizards missed the playoffs last season, and they haven't advanced past the second round since 1979. Unless there's some significant improvement soon, Beal may fade into the background in a league where the top stars are expected to be factors in the postseason.
A three-time All-Star, Beal averaged a career-high 31.3 points per game two seasons ago, when he and Russell Westbrook formed a dynamic backcourt that helped the team make at least a short appearance in the playoffs. Westbrook was then dealt to the Lakers, and Beal's scoring average dipped to 23.2 last season, when he shot a career-low 30% from 3-point range.
When asked if he thought he was being underrated after his injury-shortened season, Beal indicated there may be at least a small chip on his shoulder.
“It’s been like that my whole career, no change now," he said. "Been slighted even when I was healthy, so it doesn't matter.”
After breaking up the Westbrook-Beal tandem, the Wizards have assembled a more balanced roster. Kyle Kuzma arrived in the deal for Westbrook, and Washington acquired Kristaps Porzingis in the middle of last season.
The Wizards won their opener this season, on Wednesday. Beal scored a fairly efficient 23 points with six assists and five rebounds.
It's the second season for Washington under coach Wes Unseld Jr., whose father is the only person aside from Beal to play 10-plus seasons with this franchise. The Wizards hoped to improve defensively last season, but the results were mixed. Beal said that has to start with him and Kuzma.
“Me and Kuz. We have to have the mindset of, we have to defend on a nightly. We’re going to have a majority of the toughest jobs guarding guys," he said. "Once me and Kuz are dialed in and locked in defensively, that sets the tone for everybody else.”
At the offensive end, it's well established what Beal can do. If he stays healthy, he's likely to pass Elvin Hayes for No. 1 on Washington's career scoring list this season. That would be another feel-good moment for the franchise and for Beal, whose philanthropic efforts already earned him that nod from the city's government.
“It's amazing," Beal said. "That's something, I don't take it for granted. A big part of who I am is what I do off the floor, and I take a lot of pride in that. So to be recognized for that, it means the world.”
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Noah Trister, The Associated Press