Zach Lowe's got another great interview on Grantland today, this time with everyone's favorite Wizards rookie, Bradley Beal.
Lowe talks to Beal about the ups and downs of his rookie campaign, namely the injury bug that's hit him a few times, the Wizards defense, hearing his name in trade rumors, and playing with and without John Wall at his side.
Beal's composure in the piece is very veteran-ish. You can really hear his confidence coming through his answers. Here's my personal favorite part of the interview (hop on over to Grantland to check out the rest):
Even before the injuries, you never showed signs of hitting the rookie wall. If anything, your season was following the opposite pattern. Any secrets to rookie wall avoidance? Were there times when, even though your performance didn’t show it, you felt beaten up by the long season?
Oh, I always felt that this was a really long season, but my mentality is very strong. I stay very confident. The mind beats the body any day. I mean, your body may be weary, but you can’t tell yourself that. I always remind myself to stay confident — to stay humble and keep working hard, and just fight through it.
Not only is Lowe 100% right about Beal never hitting the rookie wall, Beal's answer and his general composure are like he's never even thought about being a rookie. He's made about as seamless a transition to the NBA from the NCAA as one could make, and that's on a physical, mental, and conversational level.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: damn, I love this kid.