JJ Redick makes his feeling clear on Bradley Beal performances after Suns lose to Lakers, ‘from a third option...’
JJ Redick doesnt understand why theres so much outcry around the production of one Phoenix Suns star whos been attacked by fans and media.
The Los Angeles Lakers arrested a four-game losing streak with an impressive 107-96 home win over the Phoenix Suns to keep themselves in the hunt for the No.
2 seed.
It was a great win led by Luka Doncics 33 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists.
The Suns just didnt have enough offensive creativity to overcome the Lakers stifling defense.
Even though LA was without LeBron James , Rui Hachimura , and more, the Suns couldnt crack 100 points.
Coach JJ Redick maximized fringe role-players such as Jordan Goodwin while Doncic emerged as an on-court leader .
The Suns have wanted more from their stars all season.
Multiple players such as Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal have been floated in trade talks this season.
Their struggles on the court just reflect the negative energy around the locker room this season.
One of their star players has been criticized for underperforming all season.
Despite that, Lakers coach Redick doesnt think the blame on that players shoulders is justified.
JJ Redick sticks up for former All-Star on the Suns Bradley Beal has been the Suns third option behind Devin Booker and Kevin Durant since joining last season.
However, fans and media have been upset about Beals contributions to the Suns from the minute he joined.
Although, Beal personally doesnt seem bothered .
After being blamed for the teams failures at the start of the season and then not being traded, Beal has received a lot of criticism.
JJ Redick defended Beal by correctly pointing out how impressive his stats are for a third option in the NBA.
Brad has taken a lot of heat, from my understanding...
When youre an ideal third option for someone who scores on an efficient level, hes averaging 18 points on 50-40-90 splits.
Im not sure, from a production standpoint, what more you would ever expect from a third option in the NBA.
"I'm not sure, from a production standpoint, what more would you ever expect from a third option in the NBA." JJ Redick on Suns guard Bradley Beal, who is averaging 17.6 points on 50.6% shooting (39.8% from 3) in 47 games.
#Suns pic.twitter.com/H7RGJU4Inr Beal is averaging 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on 50.5% from the field and 39.5% from three this season.
These are impressive stats for a third option, but third options usually dont make $50.2 million.
Thats what Beal is earning this season before being bumped to $53.6 million next season.
The problem has always been the price theyre paying for a third option like Beal.
This is a one-way player who is hard to accommodate into their starting lineup.
The team would rather have depth or a two-way player for that price, which is what all the frustrations boil down to.
Bradley Beal gets injured in loss to Lakers The Suns kept it close against the Lakers in their loss on March 16.
Unfortunately, they were lacking the services of Bradley Beal on the court for a large chunk of the second half.
This was due to Beal leaving the game after playing 15 minutes and scoring four points.
He picked up a hamstring injury and didnt return to the court.
Beal was shooting 2-6 from the field and 0-2 from the three-point range before leaving the court.
Hes officially been classified as suffering hamstring soreness.
Its unclear if hell miss additional games, but the 30-37 Suns cant afford to be without Beal for long.
They have the toughest schedule in the NBA, and having Beal on the court is crucial for their chances of covering up a 1.5 game to the No.
10 seed.
The seed for the last Play-In Tournament is currently occupied by the heavily injured Dallas Mavericks , who may need to forfeit a game this season.
This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission..
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