Should Wizards Retire Bradley Beal's Number?

The stats show that Beal is one of the greatest Wizards players of all time. He is second in points, third in assists, second in steals, third in games played, and first in three-pointers made. These numbers are what get players' numbers retired for an organization. It is also impressive to note Beal did all this while playing with Wall or Westbrook for the majority of his Washington career. He was often the second fiddle and barely had time as the first option.

Although these numbers are impressive, legacy also plays a part in the number of retirements. When you examine Beal's playoff history, it is not pretty. Beal only made the playoffs five times as a member of the Wizards. He never made it to the Conference Finals, being eliminated in the second round three times and the first round twice. He only played in Washington for 11 seasons, which means he made it to the playoffs almost 50 percent of the time.

Still, this is not enough to officially retire his number with Washington. It also helps to compare the case to another former Wizards player, Westbrook. Westbrook has the resume to have his number retired in Oklahoma City, but should he? Westbrook made the Finals once and did not have a lot of playoff success after Kevin Durant left. Like Beal, Westbrook was second fiddle for the majority of his time in OKC. Westbrook will more than likely have his number retired by the Thunder, but Beal probably won't. The difference is the impact each player had on the community.

Beal helped the community while he was a member of the Wizards, but it seems he has not helped the DMV area since leaving the team. Westbrook, on the other hand, still gives back to the OKC area even after being traded. If Beal continued to show constant love and support to Washington, even after joining the Phoenix Suns, maybe the script would be different.

The bottom line is that, even though Beal had a successful career, he may not have his number retired, nor do I believe he should. He has not done enough for the community even after his Wizards career was over. The only way I see it happening is if he retires in Washington and plays his final season in front of the Wizards faithful. He has the numbers, but not the legacy, and it's the legacy that gets your number retired.