Bradley Beal is one of the best shooting guards in the NBA. At a mere 20 years of age, and in just his second season, he averaged 17.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, shooting 40.2 percent from three-point range and helping the Washington Wizards to their first playoff appearance since 2008.
Most young players are fazed by the rabid intensity of the postseason, but not Beal. Instead he took his game to a new level, firmly establishing himself as a future superstar with every silky three-pointer and aggressive attack to the rim. Beal bettered almost all of his counting and efficiency numbers in the playoffs, an especially impressive feat considering Washington faced the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers, two of the league’s most air-tight defenses.
We talked with Beal from the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, where he was checking out highly-anticipated new releases like “Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare” and “Destiny.” Beal touched on his interest in both titles and tendencies as a gamer, as well as what he improved on most this season, the challenges NBA defenses present, how the Wizards take the step to contender, and his experience playing for Team USA.
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Dime: How long have you been a fan of the Call of Duty franchise?
Bradley Beal: Right around four or five years. At first I wasn’t a really big shooting game type guy, but I ended up buying COD and have been playing it a lot ever since. It’s easy to get addicted to.
Dime: Microsoft debuted Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. The visuals are stunning, and the new game has put an obvious emphasis on the futuristic – heat seeking grenades, laser guns, jet packs, and stuff like that. Is that what has you most excited for this new version of COD?
BB: Most definitely the weaponry they have and the artillery. The exoskeleton is ridiculous! It makes it difficult for people to even touch you. It’s fun, man. I’m really glad I got the chance to play it and watch the demo on it, and it’s definitely better than the previous ones they’ve made.
Dime: The other game we’re going to talk about is called Destiny. It’s a science fiction epic in the vein of Halo, unsurprising considering the two games share the same developer, Bungie. Were you a big fan of the Halo franchise?
BB: I wasn’t because in middle school we didn’t have XBOX, but I played on the computer sometimes and really liked it. That’s actually one of the best things about Destiny: It works on XBOX, Playstation, and things like that. It’s definitely gonna be a great game. It’s different from Call of Duty but similar in many ways, and at the same time it gives you more of a Halo feel. It’s pretty cool, man; definitely going to be a big hit.
Dime: Do you mostly play Call of Duty and NBA2K? Or are you more of a non-discriminatory gamer?
BB: I’ve kind of stayed away from fantasy-type games in the past. Like you said, I’m more of a Call of Duty and 2K man, but from what I can tell Destiny really looks awesome. Pretty sure I’m going to really like it.
Keep reading to learn how Beal improved most in his sophomore campaign…
Dime: Let’s switch gears for a bit now. You had a breakout season in your sophomore campaign, some would say establishing yourself as the league’s best young shooting guard. What do you think were the biggest advancements you made to your game this season?
BB: I think the biggest thing was my comfort level with dribbling the ball, handling in pick-and-rolls, and making those reads. Knowing that if someone goes under [the screen] and I have a shot being able to take it, but also making the pass to the big and being able to hit him in stride. So for me, the biggest improvement was just getting my teammates involved and knowing when to shoot the ball and when not to shoot the ball. And definitely my ballhandling too, especially in comparison to last year.
Dime: Right, and that’s such an adjustment for young guards in today’s NBA where most possessions contain multiple pick-and-rolls. John Wall is obviously really, really good there. Do you prefer sharing the floor with a passer and penetrator like Wall so you can run around screens, spot-up, and play to your strengths as a knockdown shooter?
BB: At this point I feel as I can do both and I’m definitely comfortable doing both. Like you said, though, if I had to pick I would definitely choose coming off screens and being able to catch and shoot. I think me being able to put the ball on the floor, create off of pick-and-rolls, and being able to dish it off to my teammates definitely makes the team better because it gives us a different look at the same time.
Dime: You’re still just 20 years old. Is there any player you model your game after? Someone you think you can be like once you finally hit your prime?
BB: There’s a lot of guys, man. A lot of the guys I play against I’ll try to take a part of their game, something I like about theirs and try and put it into mine. Like Dwyane Wade’s elusiveness, the way he’s crafty with the ball, how he plays pick-and-rolls, and how he uses his body to his advantage. Ray Allen, when he runs off screens and things like that; the reads he makes when using a pick. Just watching all these guys, man, seeing what their strongest points are and just trying to put new things into my game as well.
Dime: Something so en vogue in the league right now is efficiency. Everyone wants to take as many corner three-pointers and shots at the rim as possible. A defense sometimes tries to goad a guy like you, who’s put in a lot of pick-and-rolls and constantly uses off-ball screens, into taking long twos every now and then. How do you balance seeking efficient shot opportunities and taking what the defense gives you?
BB: It’s difficult. You always try to get the shots that you want, but sometimes you have to take the best shot available and take what the defense gives you. And sometimes those shots are long twos, and I have to be confident enough to be able to knock it down. At the end of the day, coach [Randy Wittman] tells us to shoot the ball and whatever shot it is he’s comfortable with us taking. He instills great confidence in us.
Dime: How about on the other end of the floor? NBA defense is obviously far harder than anyone who doesn’t play it knows. A lot of young guys point to the sheer size and speed of the guys in the league is the most surprising thing about their transition from college. What would you say is the most difficult thing about playing defense in the NBA?
BB: Man, just the length and the physicality of it. You just have to realize that everybody is good in the league. Everybody can play defense and everybody can score the ball. NBA defense is tough enough to beat, man, let alone play. You have help-side defenders, seven-footers, players all over the floor capable of blocking shots. It’s just so difficult, man.
Dime: Yeah, I have a tough enough time analyzing tape of it let alone actually playing it; can only imagine how hard that is for you guys. Is there a specific matchup you get excited about? A team or player you see on the schedule and might have it circled as a game you’re really looking forward to playing?
BB: Just everybody, man. As a 2-guard I have a tough assignment pretty much every night. Every player has different attributes and different things they bring to the table, so I always have my hands full. One night I’ll play D-Wade, then the next night I’ll have James Harden, and it’ll be Kobe [Bryant] right after that. So my job is never easy. Every time I step up against one of those guys, though, I always feel ready and I’m always confident. And it’s always fun because I compare myself to those guys, and playing them definitely makes me a better player.
Dime: This was your first trip to the playoffs, and the first time the Wizards have made it back since 2008. Players who haven’t appeared in the postseason before always talk about the intensity and physicality of that environment being night and day compared to the regular season. Did that surprise you at all?
BB: Yes and no. The intensity is there for the whole game; it never wears off. But at the same times you know it’s the playoffs, and everybody is trying to win a championship at the end of the day. It actually wasn’t hard to adjust to, and I think that’s what makes us NBA players – we all go out there to compete, we’re all playing for the same thing, and you have to lay it all on the line.
Dime: Your starting unit was one of the best in the league this year statistically, ranking 10th among lineups that played at least 200 minutes with a +10.5 net rating. Marcin Gortat and Trevor Ariza are free agents this summer. How important is it to bring those guys back for the next few years?
BB: It’s really important. For one, I’m actually going to have dinner with Trevor later tonight; I’ve got to try and convince him to stay with us. But those guys are just such key players for us. They bring a lot to the table. Trevor is a great defender, great three-point shooter, and great slasher to the basket. And Gortat is a tremendous finisher, great one-on-one player, and gives us a lot of size down low. They both offer so much that we need, and I hope that they’re here in the future so we can continue to build on what we did last year.
Dime: Right, and how do you build off of that? Obviously, advancing to the postseason and winning a frist round series is a huge step, but sometimes teams find it really difficult to take that next step from average playoff team to legitimate contender. Other than hard work, how do you guys go about ensuring that doesn’t happen to you?
BB: We just gotta have that mentality. We gotta have the confidence to know that we can get to the Eastern Conference Finals or NBA Finals. And I think a big difference this year was that we believed we were a good team, we believed that we could be what we wanted. And we didn’t settle for anything less. We ended up coming up short, but we got a big taste of the playoffs. I think next year we’ll use the loss to Indiana as motivation going into the preseason, and continue to make strides throughout the year in hopes of winning a championship.
Dime: You’ve been a member of USA Basketball for several years, even winning MVP of the 2010 FIBA Under-17 World Championships. You’ll continue on with them this summer at training camp in advance of the 2014 FIBA World Cup in September. What’s it like representing your country?
BB: There’s nothing like it. And it’s especially fun because I’ve been fortunate enough to always win with Team USA. I won two gold medals with the 16s and 17s, and for me to have another opportunity to represent the country again is a huge accomplishment. And obviously I’m grateful to Coach K and the committee for considering me for the team, but I know making it won’t be easy. There’s just nothing like having that ‘USA’ across your chest, though, and being able to play for a gold medal.
Dime: Do you like your chances of making the World Cup team?
BB: Most definitely. Like I said before, it won’t be easy. All of these guys [participating in training camp] are great NBA players and bring something different to the table. But at the end of the day I’m just going to work my tail off to try and make the team. I have a great opportunity just like everybody else, and I’m going to take advantage of it.
Dime: For sure. Last question: Who wins the NBA Finals?
BB: That’s really tough, man. If Tony Parker is healthy I’ll pick the Spurs, but if he’s not I’d have to say Miami. I definitely think it’s going seven games either way, though. Both teams are great at home and on the road. I’m definitely curious to see how this thing plays out.
Is Beal the best young shooting guard in the NBA?
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