Bradley Beal’s debut with the Phoenix Suns may not have been stellar, but it certainly contributed to the team’s victory. Beal, a longtime star with the Washington Wizards, posted 13 points on a challenging 3-of-12 shooting in his Suns debut. He also recorded four rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two turnovers in a 116-115 overtime win over the Chicago Bulls. It’s worth noting that when Beal was on the court, the Suns outscored the Bulls by 16 points, ranking second-best on the team.
Although Beal was a key addition to the Suns, the team has yet to play with their full roster due to Devin Booker’s absence in the game against the Bulls. In the absence of Booker, Kevin Durant led the team with 25 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, and six turnovers.
Beal’s impact was evident from the start, as he quickly notched two assists in the first two minutes of the game and made back-to-back 3-pointers in the opening quarter. However, he was clearly under a minutes restriction, finishing with a total of 23 minutes and not seeing the court at all in overtime, as the 30-year-old had missed the first seven games of the season due to lower back tightness.
Acquired from the Wizards last offseason, Beal’s arrival came with high expectations, especially considering the significant cost incurred by the Suns in the trade. The team aims to revitalize their performance after falling short in the playoffs in the last two seasons following their NBA Finals appearance in 2021.
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A three-time All-Star, Beal was previously the NBA’s quintessential big fish in a small pond, averaging 27.8 points per game in his final four seasons in Washington but only making it to the playoffs once, with an early exit in the first round. Now, the Suns need him to adapt to a different playing style, focusing more on offense and off-ball strategies, as evidenced by his first baskets being catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. Notably, he ranked sixth on the Wizards in such attempts last season.
Like many other teams, the Suns are still in the process of finding their rhythm early in the season. They will have the opportunity to further test their line-up in their upcoming game against the struggling Los Angeles Lakers. Whether Booker will return in time to form the much-anticipated trio remains to be seen.
