(Photo: BradleyBeal.net)
In case you did not know by now, Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal began a blog last season with the hope of sharing an inside look at the team with fans. Beal took to his blog to share where he thinks the Wizards stand so far 13 games into the season as the team is in Miami to start a home-and-home series with the Heat. Here are the highlights of what Beal had to say and you can read the full post here.
On 8-5 record about a sixth of the way through the season on pace for 50 wins: "We kind of have mixed feelings about where we stand. We don’t have the record that we want to have. We feel like we should be a lot better."
On Lakers loss in Game 4: "We laid an egg. We kind of got complacent and got cocky. We thought we were a little bit better than we were. You have to stay humble with success."
On Mavericks loss serving as a turning point: "The loss to Dallas was the real wake up call. That was a huge letdown. ... After that we looked in the mirror and what we saw was that we just have to do whatever it takes to get better. We have to continue to work in practice, drill it each and every day, and get to a point where it is second nature to us, get back to that nasty defensive team that we were last year."
On offense not being the problem: "Sometimes we get too consumed with offense, and offense is rarely our problem. We score 110-plus points a game. That is always enough to win you a ballgame, but at the end of the day, if you can’t stop guys, you’re not going to be able to win games, let alone a championship."
On John Wall and himself being better on-court examples: "When the team sees us two getting after it on the defensive end, everybody else follows suit, playing with energy, and getting to where they are supposed to be."
On getting teammates involved: "But it can’t be all about us. We’ve got to give guys like Otto and Keef opportunities, get them the ball in their spots and make sure that they’re incorporated into the game."
On Otto Porter Jr.'s improvement after re-signing with a max deal: "He has been doing a terrific job with the opportunities he’s been given and I feel like it’s flying under the radar a bit. But he worked tremendously hard in the offseason and it’s paying off."
On Mike Scott: "Big addition for us. He comes in and gives us energy, and gives us points. From the three-point line all the way into the post, his face-up game is one of the best in the league in my opinion."
On Tim Frazier: "A great backup for John. The way that he is able to move the ball, get guys shots, get guys going. He is a true point guard, a true motivator out there. When he is on the floor, he is in control of the team. I love what he does out there."
On Kelly Oubre Jr.: "Constantly growing. We need him to be our best defender as always and he is constantly developing. He is shooting the three at a high percentage right now too, so his work in the offseason has really paid off. He’s still young, but he’s becoming the guy we need him to be."
On stretch with three straight 35+ point games: "I felt like the hoop was the ocean and continued to stay in attack mode, getting to the line as much as possible and knocking down some shots, and just staying aggressive."
On Golden State Warriors: "They are still the team to beat."
On Eastern Conference: "We feel like the conference is wide open. The seeding right now is kind of all over the place. Cleveland is a little rocky. We’re a little rocky right now. Toronto is a little rocky. We haven’t seen Boston yet, but they’re playing really well."
On Wizards in the pecking order in the East: "I still believe we’re the best team in the East. People look at me like I’m crazy when I say that, but what do you expect me to say?"