Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal had another impressive outing off the bench on Thursday, posting 25 points and seven rebounds on 11-of-16 shooting from the field in a win over the Atlanta Hawks. That was Beal’s second 25-point outing since he was removed from starting lineup earlier this month.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Devin Booker explained the mental challenge of having so many ball-dominant scorers on the court at the same time and why Beal can now “play free.”
“He understands his place in that lineup and understands that his job is to be aggressive,” Booker. saying. “It can be a little frustrating when we’re all out there, and I go through that too. When you take two shots in a row and you’re like, ‘Man, I’m here with KD and Brad, I need to get them involved.’ So not even having that on your conscience [sic] And just playing for free can do a lot for anyone.”
After a good start to the season, the Suns began to struggle in December and fell in the standings of the crowded Western Conference. Finally, in the midst of a 1-7 skid, new Suns coach Mike Budenholzer decided to turn things around. He sent Beal and veteran center Jusuf Nurkic to the bench and replaced them with Ryan Dunn and Mason Plumlee.
So far, the results have been mixed. The Suns are 2-1 with their new starting lineup, and while Beal has had some big games, he also went 5-for-13 in a loss to the lowly Charlotte Hornets. Beal, for his part, is still trying to adapt to his new role. The Suns’ win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 6 was the first time Beal came off the bench since the 2015-16 season.
“Every moment [has been weird],”Beal saying after the victory over the Hawks. “But again, I’m not going to be a distraction, I’m not going to be a jerk, I’m not going to be unprofessional. I’m going to do my job, I’m going to do what’s asked of me. I always take pride in my game, in who I am, in I guess this is no different, it’s just magnified more because it’s something people aren’t used to seeing.
Adding to the intrigue in Phoenix is Jimmy Butler’s business talk. Butler, who is currently suspended by the Miami Heat, He has reportedly indicated that the Suns are his preferred destination.. Beal is the obvious candidate to leave the Suns in such a deal, but he has a no-trade clause. “I have the letters” Beal said earlier this week when asked about the situation. It’s certainly possible that benching Beal is an attempt to make Beal more willing to waive that no-trade clause and accept a move elsewhere.
This year’s trade deadline is February 6. That gives the Suns enough time to potentially shake things up with this new lineup or work on a potential trade for Beal.
