Bradley Beal Opens Up on 1st Season with Suns: 'This Year Has Been a Little Rocky'

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal has admitted his first season with a new team hasn't gone as expected so far.

Speaking to Andscape's Marc J. Spears, the three-time All-Star said "this year has been a little rocky" as he has been limited by back and ankle injuries.

"Obviously, I'm not in control of a lot of injury stuff," he explained. "But it's been a learning experience for sure for me in a patient game. I ain't got hoop stories. I haven't been traveling with the team. My boys have been sick. I've been down Lone Wolf the last month I feel like."

The back issue kept Beal out of the first seven games this season. He returned for the next three games before the injury flared up again. The Suns announced on Nov. 20 he would miss at least three weeks to rehab a lower back strain.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Beal has been dealing with "nerve irritation from his back down to his legs" dating back to training camp.

Beal made his return on Dec. 12, playing 27 minutes in a win over the Golden State Warriors. He played 33 minutes the next night against the Brooklyn Nets, but an ankle injury knocked him out in the first quarter of a Dec. 15 loss to the New York Knicks.

Head coach Frank Vogel announced Beal would be out indefinitely with a sprained ankle, though his X-rays came back negative.

Beal told Spears not being able to play is "beyond frustrating," but he's trying "to find the positives in all that with the message that I'm trying to learn."

The Dec. 13 game against the Nets marked the first time Phoenix's trio of Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker played together. They combined to score 75 points on 24-of-42 shooting, but the Suns lost 116-112.

It's been a disappointing start to the season in Phoenix beyond Beal's injury issues. The Suns have lost eight of their last 11 games and currently rank 10th in the Western Conference with a 14-14 overall record.

This is the third consecutive season that Beal has been limited by injuries. He only played 90 games in the previous two seasons with the Washington Wizards.