Bradley Beal back in Gainesville before NBA adventure
Friday, August 31, 2012 | Men's Basketball, Men's Swimming & Diving, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Bradley Beal has very little free time left before wading knee-deep into the next phase of his basketball journey.
That would be the NBA, of course.
But there was the soon-to-be rookie guard for the Washington Wizards on Friday, checking in with some old friends here in town.
“Things are about to get going, so I'm anxious and a little nervous at the same time,” Beal said after watching his former Florida teammates push through a conditioning session at the UF basketball complex. “Once things get started, I'm confident I'll settle in.”
In June, the Wizards selected Beal, a first-team All-Southeastern Conference performer as a freshman, with the third overall pick in the draft. One of the most woebegone franchises in professional sports over the last three decades -- the Bullets/Wizards have won just one playoff series since 1982 -- the team is in rebuild mode (again) and drafted the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Beal as a prominent building block.
He's already formed an off-court bond with Wizards point guard John Wall, who two years ago was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Now comes Beal, who found his groove down the home stretch of UF's postseason run to the Elite Eight, averaging 16.5 points, 53 percent from the floor and nearly 46 percent from 3-point range, eight rebounds and 3.7 assists over the final six games.
Beal showed nicely in the NBA summer league, one of six players recognized as all-stars. Now comes the real deal for @RealDealBeal23.
"Can't wait," he said.
On Wednesday, Beal moved into his new home in Arlington, Va. (with his two older brothers), and Tuesday will report for preseason conditioning and pick-up games. Last month he signed a two-year rookie contract worth $8.3 million.
Training camp starts early next month.
There will be expectations.
“Believe me, I'm not looking at myself as a savior of any team. It's going to be me and 13 or 14 other guys,” Beal said. “I want to be a big part of that. I'm really looking forward to seeing what we can build together because we have a good group of young players and some good older guys. I'm not worried about what people are expecting of me, just what my coaches and teammates will expect of me.”
