Bradley Beal: Power Ranking Best Fits for Future NBA Star
Bradley Beal is a name to remember.
The 6’5’’ shooting guard out of Florida has been described as Ray Allen meets Eric Gordon by ESPN’s Chad Ford and is a surefire top-five pick in the 2012 NBA draft.
He has conducted workouts for all of the teams currently picking in the first five spots, which is a strong suggestion that the furthest he will drop is to the Sacramento Kings at No. 5. His blend of athleticism, strength and a lights-out shooting touch make him the entire package at the two-guard position.
With that in mind, who is the best fit in the top five for Beal?
5. New Orleans Hornets (No. 1 pick)
The worst kept secret in the draft is that the Hornets will be selecting Anthony Davis with their top pick. They already have a Beal-like player in Gordon and don’t need to spend their top pick on his clone.
4. Sacramento Kings (No. 5 pick)
The Kings already employ a combo guard in Tyreke Evans and a two-guard in Jimmer Fredette that can shoot and do little else.
Considering Beal’s greatest asset is to score, this is the last thing the Kings need right now. Defense is the priority in Northern California.
3. Charlotte Bobcats (No. 2 pick)
The Bobcats certainly need an offensive-minded player, but they already shored up their issues at the position last year when they selected Kemba Walker.
While Walker had a disappointing rookie season (12.1 ppg, 4.4 apg, 36 percent from the field), you can’t give up on him just yet.
Besides, Charlotte has much bigger issues to address.
2. Washington Wizards (No. 3 pick)
The Wiz kids are the perfect fit for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. They need an athletic defender who can run on the break and eventually develop a strong offense game.
Beal would certainly get his points in bunches alongside John Wall and is an outstanding rebounder for a guard, but I wonder about his defense.
Weighing 200 pounds, he does have the bulk and strength to hold his own but will be undersized against virtually all of his opponents.
There is no question he would instantly fill the shooting void left by Nick Young, but Beal should be nothing more than a backup plan in case MKG is swiped by the Bobcats.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (No. 4 pick)
The Cavs are quietly developing quite the nucleus but still have a glaring hole in the backcourt. They don’t have shooters, and it put a lot more pressure on Kyrie Irving in his rookie season.
With Beal on board, Irving can push the ball more and drive to the bucket knowing he can dish the ball to Beal on the perimeter. At the ripe age of 19 when the season begins, Beal can grow with the other young players.
He has fearlessness to his game that can rub off on his teammates, a high basketball IQ and can handle the ball when Irving is on the bench.
Beal is the perfect pick for the Cavs, and they would be foolish to pass up on him for a much more dangerous pick like Andre Drummond.
