Bradley Beal finds himself at a crossroads in his career. He hasn’t made the All-Star team in four years. And he recently got one of the biggest buyouts in league history. To put it in perspective, the Phoenix Suns will pay Beal almost $100 million not to play for them. After joining the Los Angeles Clippers once he clears waivers, Beal has a great role model for how to continue his career and avoid a huge mistake in Carmelo Anthony.
Bradley Beal Cannot Repeat Carmelo Anthony’s Biggest Mistake
If we look back at Melo’s career, he was at a similar crossroads. When he joined the Houston Rockets with James Harden and Chris Paul, Melo thought he would be the third star on the team. But he quickly learned that would not be the case. The interesting part is that now Beal will have to find a way to work alongside Harden.
In Houston, Melo thought he would get plenty of touches and play like he always had. But he quickly found out that the Rockets wanted him only to space the floor and serve as a spot-up shooter. Melo couldn’t accept that role easily, and as a result, he played only 10 games for Houston. They parted ways, and Anthony couldn’t find a team to sign him for the rest of the season. He signed with the Portland Trail Blazers the next season and fully embraced his reduced role, earning praise for his change of attitude.
How can Beal avoid Melo’s Mistake?
For the past two seasons, Beal couldn’t find a role playing for the Phoenix Suns. To his credit, he did try to give more effort on the defensive end. But the Suns had Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, and there were few touches for Beal. Injuries also played a role.
There have been many instances where players are released from a huge contract and then playing for minimal money. Some stars accept it and move on with a reduced role, while others do not.
The biggest mistake Beal can make right now is to go into next season thinking he can be a focal point of the Clippers’ offense. Right now, the “second team in Los Angeles” looks like one of the deepest teams in the league. Here is a quick list of their rotation: Kawhi Leonard, Harden, John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Ivica Zubac, Brook Lopez, Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, Nicolas Batum, Beal, and possibly Kobe Brown and Cam Christie.
The Biggest Challenge for Beal
The deal Beal signed with the Clippers is for two years, but with a player option for the second season. Basically, he will have a year to show he can fit with the team, and then go onto the open market next season as a free agent and hope to strike a new deal. Playing in a contract year is always a double-edged sword for players. It can make them a bit too selfish and try to score more points to boost their value. If Beal makes that mistake, it will be trouble for both him and the Clippers.
How Beal Fits the Clippers
Some might say Beal is taking the Norman Powell position for the Clippers. They traded him to the Miami Heat, and now they have Beal playing for $5.3 million. When you compare the two, Powell is about a month older. Powell is also a slightly better shooter, with career shooting marks of 47.1% from the floor and 39.8% from behind the arc. Beal has career marks of 46.4% from the floor and 37.6% from three-point range.
While Powell averaged 15.8 field goal attempts per game last season, Beal cannot expect to get that this year. With the return of Kawhi, the trade for Collins, and the signing of Brook Lopez, there will be fewer shots around. The good news is that most of them will probably be open looks.
Photo credit: © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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