Scott Brooks defends Bradley Beal's load-management decision

The Washington Wizards’ decision to rest Bradley Beal looked suspiciously like a tanking move, but Scott Brooks insists there was good reason for it.

Beal sat out Friday’s game against the New York Knicks, and the Wizards ended up on the receiving end of a 109-91 beatdown. Brooks, the Wizards head coach, said that the night off for Beal was a necessary one though.

“It’s nothing specific,” Brooks said of Beal, per Fred Katz of The Athletic. “It’s just, he needs some rest.”

Brooks also mentioned the load that the All-Star has carried for the Wizards this season as well the team’s difficult current stretch of 16 games in 27 days.

Beal has indeed been a superhero for Washington, averaging an NBA-best 32.8 points per game. Friday’s rest night also marked just the second missed game of the year for Beal. But the Wizards are an Eastern Conference-worst 6-17 overall. Beal is also in his physical prime at 27 and is not dealing with any nagging or chronic injuries, at least that have been disclosed. Thus, Friday’s load management unsurprisingly sparked some doubts.

Whatever the case, Beal is under a microscope right now with the March 25 trade deadline looming. That gives the Wizards yet another reason to be cautious with his health wherever they can be.