John Wall and Bradley Beal Don't Like Each Other, and the Wizards Are Screwed
By Jason McIntyre
The Washington Wizards are coming off such a disastrous season that they didn’t even warrant a look from DC-area native Kevin Durant when he went through the free agent process.
And now, coming off a season in which they missed the playoffs, the Wizards have a new problem: Their point guard, John Wall, and shooting guard, Bradley Beal, don’t like each other. The two best players on the team, the two players the franchise is building around, simply don’t get along.
Yes, there’s a rich history of teammates overcoming bickering and winning … I just can’t think of any right now. And given the Westbrook/Durant split this summer … yeah, we’re going to chalk this up as “Not Good.”
From CSN Mid-Atlantic:
John Wall: “I think a lot of times we have a tendency to dislike each other on the court.”
Bradley Beal: “It’s tough because we’re both alphas. It’s always tough when you have two guys who firmly believe in themselves, who are better on themselves than anyone else, and who want to be, you know, that guy.”
John Wall: “You got to be able to put that to the side. Once I argue with somebody I’m cool, I let it pass. I’m back to playing basketball.”
Wall’s 25 and Beal’s 23 and both are locked in to long-term deals – Beal through 2021 and Wall through 2019. On the court, Beal can’t stay healthy and Wall can’t shoot. Wall averaged 19-10 last year, but in the 3-point era, is he still more valuable than Beal, who has shot 38/40/40/38 on three-pointers so far in his career?
My inclination is to pick Beal over Wall, but it’s going to be impossible to trade either of them and get fair value with these issues out in the open.