NBA

Wizards guard Bradley Beal says team has to play more aggressive

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

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Updated19 hours ago on April 19, 2024

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Wizards star Bradley Beal (day-to-day) with left hamstring soreness 76ers

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal knows he has a better team this season, and the three-time All-Star insinuated that his teammates need greater speed and aggression when attacking the basket.

“It’s still a work in progress,” Beal told reporters on Monday after the Wizards’ 118-111 loss against the Philadelphia 76ers. “We still have so many guys who are able to do so many things.”

Based on a few NBA betting sites, the Wizards possess the eighth-lowest odds to win the championship in 2023. Some sportsbooks are showing higher playoff odds than the Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons.

“It’s figuring out that rhythm,” continued the Wizards guard. “We gotta be a lot more aggressive. I think sometimes we walk the ball up.

We’re not cutting as hard, we’re not screening as hard, we’re not getting into our sets as quick as a lot of teams are, we’re not getting easier buckets. I think we gotta work extremely hard to score.”

In 38 minutes, Beal ended his performance with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. Also, he shot 7-of-18 from the floor and 2-of-6 from 3-point range. The Sixers outscored them 34-21 to start the second half.

Bradley Beal feels the Wizards need to show more speed and aggressive play on the court

Through seven starts this season, Beal is averaging 20.7 points, 3.9 boards, and 6.1 assists. Plus, he’s shooting 50.9% from the field and 31.3% from downtown.

Fellow teammate Kyle Kuzma agrees with Beal’s assessment. “[We just have to] figure out what we want to do,” the forward mentioned after losing to Philadelphia.

“Obviously you want to have an identity, but in this landscape of the NBA, it’s so much different brands of basketball you have to play, right?

We just have to find it. Find out what we want to do and what we want to accomplish on that side of the ball.”

Additionally, Kuzma closed out his outing with 9 points, 7 boards, and 2 assists in 33 minutes of action. The Wizards forward shot 3-of-5 from the field and made one 3-pointer.

During the 2021-22 season, in the first seven games of the season, the Wizards started 5-2. They won two overtime games in the first couple of weeks. However, Washington went on to finish the season 35-47 (.427) and 12th overall in the Eastern Conference.

For their next game, the Wizards take on the 76ers again on Wednesday night at Wells Fargo Center. This rematch can be watched live at 6 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Washington.

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