Daily Digits is a new daily feature we’re doing at Bullets Forever this year where we take a look at stats about the Wizards. We’ll dive into the numbers, add some context, and discuss how they affect the product on the court.
Today’s stat is the number of players averaging at least 20 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block per game this season, which is...
3
Two of the players who are at that criteria should not come as a surprise to anyone. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis are both top-five MVP candidates right now who put up gaudy stats every night.
The other guy at that level? Bradley Beal. For all the talk about the Wizards’ struggles and his individual struggles with threes this season, he’s turning in another outstanding year. He dominated the way you would expect a star to dominate in Wednesday’s win against the Hawks with John Wall out of the lineup.
It’s easy to overlook what Beal does because he’s the most conventional player on the Wizards’ roster. In a league that has embraced anomalies, he is getting it done by sticking the blueprint that has worked for shooting guards since the 3-point line was introduced, with a balanced inside/outside attack.
Considering that DeMar DeRozan is no longer in the East, and Victor Oladipo has missed time recently, there’s a case to be made Bradley Beal has been the best shooting guard in the Eastern Conference so far this season, or if not, a very close second to Khris Middleton.
Regardless of where you put him, it’s time to start talking seriously about another All-Star appearance. It would help if the team was a little higher up in the standings, but there’s still time for that to improve before voting starts. In the meantime, if Beal can keep up his solid all-around game and start getting those outside shots to fall and the level we’re used to seeing, the rest should take care of itself.