Bradley Beal isn’t sure how long soreness in his left hamstring will continue to be an issue, writes Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. Beal returned from a three-game absence Tuesday, but he was only able to play during the first half of the Wizards‘ loss at Milwaukee. He felt the hamstring tighten up and checked out of the game late in the second quarter.
“I tried to make a few accelerations, and (it) kind of prevented me from doing that,” Beal told reporters. “It’s frustrating because I didn’t have that the last 48 hours. Nobody wants to play more than me. But I’ve just got to be smart about it.”
Beal has been available for just 24 of Washington’s 39 games. He missed five games in November while in health and safety protocols and six more in December with a strained right hamstring. Beal couldn’t offer any insight about when he expects to be 100% again, saying that the latest injury can be aggravated by normal basketball activities.
“It’s tough. It is frustrating. I always preach your best ability is your availability, and I haven’t been that. That piece is definitely frustrating, but I have to be encouraged and understand that there’s still more that I can contribute to the game,” Beal said. “… It’s tough because we’re playing good ball. I want to be a part of that.”
There’s more on the Wizards:
- Johnny Davis, a rookie guard out of Wisconsin, didn’t accompany the team for its four-day stay in Milwaukee because he’s being treated for a hip injury, Wallace adds. Although Davis has spent much of the season in the G League, appearing in just 10 NBA games so far, coach Wes Unseld Jr. indicated that he might have been brought on the trip if not for the injury.
- Daniel Gafford also left Tuesday’s game early, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Gafford was pulled from the contest in the fourth quarter with a right elbow issue after a series of collisions with Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Wizards didn’t provide any information on Gafford’s status, but they have two days off for him to recover before their next game.
- Outside shooting may be the team’s priority heading into the trade deadline, Hughes states in a separate story. Washington shot just 8-for-27 (29.5%) from beyond the arc in Tuesday’s loss, and Hughes notes that it’s the 21st time this season that the Wizards have made 10 or fewer three-pointers. They’re last in the league in threes made by their guards, so that could be an area to address in the trade market, particularly if Beal’s playing status remains uncertain.
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