How much better will Bradley Beal be in 2016?
Unless he strikes an agreement before Halloween, it's a contract year for Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal. But that could be really good news for him, considering Beal turned 22 in June and still has so much room to grow.
How much room, though? Here, Sports Illustrated's Ben Leibowitz has a look at what type of jump Beal can make in his fourth season:
"Another guy entering his pivotal fourth season is Wizards two-guard Bradley Beal. Unlike Kidd-Gilchrist, Washington’s young stud is already an elite shooter, and perhaps on the cusp of his first All-Star berth following a breakout performance in the 2015 playoffs. In 10 postseason games, Beal improved his scoring output to 23.4 points per game while grabbing 5.5 rebounds and dishing out 4.6 assists. His scoring efficiency wasn’t great (40.5% overall), but the confidence he exuded was certainly a welcome sign. NBA skills trainer Drew Hanlen, who has worked with Beal dating back to his high school days, told me he thinks the former Florida Gator will be a first-time All-Star in 2016."
Beal might be young but he's already an exceptional NBA talent.
If he can knock down more threes at a higher rate, clean up a few defensive mistakes and improve his ball-handling to the point where Washington doesn't need a traditional backup point guard behind John Wall, Beal could indeed make the All-Star team in 2016.
His first of what promises to be many appearances.
(h/t: Sports Illustrated)
