Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal has missed the last five games due to a hamstring injury. Since then, his team has gone 4-1, improving to a 35-38 record – good for 10th in the Western Conference.
This has caught the attention of ESPN insider Tim MacMahon, who revealed a harsh take about Beal from an anonymous Dallas Mavericks coaching staff member.
“The Suns won that game and I was talking with some Mavs coaches afterward and not in a disrespectful way, but they said Beal not playing hurt us,” MacMahon said on The Hoop Collective. “They said, when Beal is out there, it’s a guy you can target on the defensive end for the Suns.”
“All he’s doing is taking touches away from KD and Booker. Again, Bradley Beal, forget the contract, he’s not a max player, the no-trade clause and all that. Bradley Beal is a very good offensive player still, but what they need is guys who fit around their two awesome offensive players,” he added.
Phoenix Suns News: Mike Budenholzer drops Bradley Beal injury update
Mike Budenholzer did not play Bradley Beal during their 132-102 loss against the Boston Celtics last night. However, the Phoenix Suns head coach noted that the three-time NBA All-Star is making “good progress.”
Beal sustained the hamstring injury during last Sunday’s defeat against the Los Angeles Lakers, where he only had four points and two rebounds on 2-for-6 shooting from the field in 15 minutes.
“He’s ramping up his court work. We feel like he’s making good progress. I think he’s like 9-10 days out (from suffering the injury),” Budenholzer said about Beal via PHNX’s Gerard Bourguet. “We feel like he’s making good progress. The next few days are big, and we’ll just see how he progresses each day.”
