Upon signing Bradley Beal, the LA Clippers remained optimistic that he could produce similarly to what he did for the Washington Wizards, and not the Phoenix Suns. LA needs a player who is a scoring threat and requires the attention of multiple defenders at all times, rather than someone with minimal availability who was even benched at one point.
From his rookie season through year 11 in the DMV area, Beal grew in all facets and averaged 22.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists over nearly 700 games(695). This displays the same type of consistency that LA hopes to receive from the St. Louis native, as a banner could be revealed in the Intuit Dome if he does.
Next season, Beal will be of help in the assisting and rebounding departments, but the only ask of him will be to incorporate as much effort as possible on defense and to score the ball.
His defense could see progression as the season advances, with Jeff Van Gundy advising the three-time All-Star after film review. However, scoring the ball is something he should be doing off the board, even if it is an efficient average of under 20 points per game.
On that note, Beal could have a feel-good night in his first season with the Clippers and accomplish the unexpected, something only two LA legends have achieved in recent memory.
Bradley Beal could unexpectedly have an iconic scoring night next season, similar to James Harden’s versus the Detroit Pistons
Although Paul George and Kawhi Leonard have come extremely close, and almost did it on the same night versus the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 14th, 2019, they have never been able to hit the 50-point threshold. Thus, before last season, the most recent star to post the massive feat was Lou Williams against the Golden State Warriors in 2018.
Against the Detroit Pistons on March 5th of 2025, James Harden filled the scoring charts to the brim with 50 points and a win. This was a notable individual and team accomplishment, as it marked his career high with the Clippers.
Moreover, the next player with the highest chances is Bradley Beal, and it could catch fans off guard next season, as he has not done so in years.
Beal’s ultimate vision is to be great, and one way to attract the spotlight to his name through the national media would be to record a 50-piece, as only certain players have had the recipe for doing so, especially from a Clippers uniform.