The Los Angeles Clippers had one of the busiest offseasons in the NBA, changing almost half of their team. They traded Norman Powell, but in return, they got John Collins. They also added Chris Paul, Bradley Beal, and Brook Lopez via free agency. The biggest addition, and the one that most people will discuss, is Beal.
The former All-Star was considered one of the worst contracts in the league before securing a buyout with the Phoenix Suns. Now, with the Clippers, many people want to know how he will fit. Well, speaking on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast, Clippers head coach Ty Lue had a clear vision about the role Bradley Beal will play.
Ty Lue Has a Clear Vision for Bradley Beal’s Role on the Clippers
Beal is a former All-Star and has competed for the scoring title. But the last two seasons with the Suns, he was a third option, which many people think he didn’t quite adapt to. In Los Angeles, he will not become a first option, so naturally, people had questions. Here is what Lue envisions for the new addition.
“He’s an explosive scorer. We know where he was in Washington. He averaged 30 for a couple of years. We know he can score, but that’s not necessarily what you need from him. He’s going to be a big help for us offensively. We are going to need him to score, but outside of scoring, we’re going to need to make plays for other guys, too. Defensively, he’s always been good, but you’ve got to challenge him every night. Like, if he’s on like bad players, he’s not as good. When he is guarding a guy that can play, he’s a really good defender.”
Sounds a lot like what the Suns envisioned from Beal. But can Lue extract that from Beal? Or will he fail to connect with one of the biggest acquisitions for the Clippers this summer? He then continued:
“We’re going to need him to score. We don’t need him to come in and try to be somebody else. We need him to be who he is, and keeping him involved and engaged offensively is going to be huge for us. He can do a lot of stuff.”
If Beal can do all that while playing between 25 and 30 minutes, the Clippers definitely sound like a contender. Ultimately, a lot will depend on the health of their two main guys, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.
The Challenge for Ty Lue
Next season might be one of the most challenging seasons for Lue as a coach. The Clippers went out and got him a couple of players who can ball. They also retained some of their core guys. Right now, the Clippers look like a roster that can go 10 to 12 players deep. Handling all of those minutes will be a steep task, but it’s one that he can handle.
The bigger challenge will be about shots and points. The Clippers constructed their roster so that they can have plenty of flexibility going forward. But that means potentially three of their starters can be free agents next summer: Harden, Beal, and Collins. The starting five is not set yet, but Beal and Collins are in the last year of their contracts, and Harden has a player option.
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