After being put out of commission by a string of bothersome injuries throughout the year, Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal will be cutting his year short. It was announced yesterday that rather than risk further injury with a fibula stress fracture in his right leg, the promising rookie will sit out the rest of the expiring season.
Since the Washington Wizards are essentially in a race to nowhere—they won’t be making the playoffs by a longshot, in this case, maybe even a half-court heave—it’s a wise move. The injury won’t require surgery, but does entail a six-week resting regiment that coincides well with the waning season. The stress injury was discovered after an MRI exam was performed on Beal following an unrelenting pain in his leg. This after Beal had already missed 18 games this season due to a pesky wave of injuries. In addition to the fibula stress fracture, he’s been hampered by a sore back, a sprained left ankle, and a sprained right wrist.
At only 19, and built like an Olympic wrestler, Wizards fans would hope that the nagging run of injuries isn’t a sign of things to come. Considering that Beal only played his freshman year of college before turning pro, there’s little to indicate that he’s prone to injury.
All fans really have to lament is not seeing Beal put a seal over a strong rookie campaign. Averaging 13.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 2.4 APG, Beal ranked anywhere from number 2 to 5 among rookies. And that’s after struggling the beginning of the season without a rejuvenated John Wall. With Wall and Beal in tandem, the Wizards posted an impressive 16-9 record. In those 25 games, Beal averaged 15.0 PPG and shot significantly better from the floor (46.8 FG% and 46.6 3FG% compared to 36.7 FG% and 32.3 3FG%).
With an aging Boston cast, Brandon Jennings almost certainly leaving Milwaukee, and Atlanta expected to lose Josh Smith in free agency (though I think he’ll stick around when D12 shows up), the Wizards are expected to be an Eastern Conference force with Beal and Wall at the helm. Sidelining Beal shouldn’t be seen as a blow to Washington fans, but rather an indication that the Wizards management see big things for next year.
