If the action starts with Booker (in traditional high pick-and-roll), Beal can be among the league’s best weakside creators and distributors when working against a tilted defense. Per NBA.com, he gave up the ball on 53% of those drives Tuesday, only taking five shots when he penetrated the defense. Not only will Beal alleviate some of the rim pressure concerns when he gets more comfortable driving into traffic and hunting for his own looks, but he’s an adept passer out of those situations when he draws help. We shouldn’t extrapolate too much from a one-game sample, but you could see the process unfold in real time and begin to recognize the affect it will have on their halfcourt offense. For perspective, that’s much higher than Booker’s average and right in line with the league-leader, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Swapping Chris Paul for the Beal and Jordan Goodwin tandem allowed them to get some much-needed speed and downhill scoring.īeal registered 17 drives during his return, which translated to roughly 23 per 36 minutes of action. Since Phoenix became a playoff team in 2021, this has been a unit that (understandably) loves mid-range jumpers and doesn’t exactly get to the rim a ton. The glaring positive Beal provides for the Suns is the added north-to-south juice he gives their offense. But very excited to have him back out there. I can help him – help our guys be more organized. Teammates are learning him, and he’s learning where guys are going to be. Sometimes it takes shape right away, sometimes it takes a few games. It doesn’t simulate the game environment.

“You can play as much pickup in practice as you want. “Yeah, it’s rhythm and timing,” Vogel said. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) drives on Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23). Anybody expecting him to return to All-NBA form, without an adjustment period, needed to recalibrate. Even with the results being shaky, Vogel was a fan of how Beal picked his spots and took what the defense allowed. The Suns were -15 with Beal on the floor during his first game back, and it’s going to be a process of figuring out the best ways to attack with certain lineups. But as he mentioned, this is still a brand new group of guys for the 12-year veteran to adapt to. Head coach Frank Vogel, who knows how quickly bad injury luck can affect a team, was expecting Beal’s offensive production to come with some rust. But I just told him stay level-headed, but it’s good to have you back out there.” “With the minutes restriction, by the time you get your rhythm, you turn around and you’re subbed out. “He’s still getting his legs and wind back - which, you know, I just went through the same thing and it’s frustration,” Booker said as he empathized with Beal about the ups and downs. Even with Beal on the floor again, he’s still on a restriction (below 30 minutes) with the trainers opting for a cautious approach since back injuries can be worrisome. The problem, or headache, for the coaching staff is that it’s tough to map out a perfect rotation when guys are constantly shuffling in and out with various injuries.

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