Bradley Beal found it difficult to be Wizards leader

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal opened up about his 2019-20 campaign being the leader of the team on and off the court. Things weren't always so easy for Beal before the season was put on hold due to the coronavirus, and he alluded to that in an interview with The Athletic.

“It’s been a challenge for me, because I’m kind of reserved sometimes,” Beal said, according to The Athletic's Fred Katz. “I’m all about going out there and getting the job done. So, it’s kinda balancing that and understanding how some guys like to be talked to, understanding some guys like to be yelled at, taking criticism — some can; some don’t like it — understanding how I can be more critical of myself and what I’m doing instead of just barking, barking, barking. Guys get tired of that after a while. So, really the biggest thing is realizing it’s not as easy as you think it is. Everybody wants to be a franchise player and the leader of a team, but until you’re put in that position, it’s not so easy.” 

Unfortunately for Beal, the Wizards are a mere 24-40 in the Eastern Conference. However, that's really not all his fault. Washington is a very young team with guys like Troy Brown, Rui Hachimura and Thomas Bryant — in time they'll get better, but it's going to be a learning process. Beal said he'd like to be more vocal going forward, and that alone could be a beam of light for the Wizards. The 26-year-old was averaging 30.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from three-point range before the season was paused due to the coronavirus outbreak, so there's only so much more he can do for the team. If Washington has any hopes of being a strong competitor in the East, they'll want to build around Beal and bring in some quality players in the near future.