The Washington Wizards have a chance to make the playoffs when the NBA season resumes in Orlando, but they may wind up being without their best player.
Bradley Beal said on Wednesday that he has not yet decided if he will take part in the resumed season. The star guard expressed concerns over the restrictions of bubble life at Walt Disney World.
“It’s not a walk in the park, and that’s what guys are concerned about,” Beal said, via Fred Katz of The Athletic. “There’s a lot of s— that we can’t do.”
Beal added that he hasn’t been “swayed one way or another” but is continuing to prepare as though he will play. He also indicated that if he does opt out of playing again this season, it won’t have anything to do with social justice issues.
Bradley Beal: “We stopped playing basketball because of COVID. We didn’t stop because of social injustice. And I feel like we still can raise awareness by playing basketball…But I get it from both sides of those who think it’s a distraction. I don’t think it is."
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) July 1, 2020
The Wizards will already be down a key player in Orlando, as Davis Bertans has decided to sit out to avoid suffering an injury before he becomes a free agent. There will be eight more regular season games, and Washington is currently 5.5 games behind the No. 8 seed Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference. Beal is by far their most important player and is averaging 30.5 points per game, but making the playoffs will be no easy task for the Wizards even if he plays.
