Scott Brooks Says John Wall, Bradley Beal 'Could Be Top 2-Way Backcourt' in NBA

Ahead of his first season as Washington Wizards head coach, Scott Brooks is feeling quite confident about his young, gifted guard tandem of John Wall and Bradley Beal.

In an interview with The Vertical's Chris Mannix on Tuesday, Brooks said: "I think they could be the top two-way backcourt in basketball."

Brooks cited how well both Wall and Beal defend and score as the rationale for such an optimistic forecast, and he called Beal one of the "purest" shooters he's seen in the league.

The coach was also excited for the future in light of the fact that Wall is only 25 and Beal just turned 23 in June. However, one later quote from Brooks hinted at the key to the Wizards' success in 2016-17 and beyond.

"If we can stay healthy and keep improving, I think we have a good chance to be one of the best teams in the East," Brooks said.

Health has been a problem for Beal in particular. Talented and advanced as he may be for his age, the 2012 draft's No. 3 overall pick has missed almost a full regular season's worth of time (81 games) across his first four years as a pro.

The numbers don't back up Brooks' claim that Beal is a sharpshooting phenom either. He's shot only 42.6 percent from the field and a strong 39.7 percent from three-point range, but the latter number isn't among the game's absolute elite.

But again, if Beal can stay on the court often enough to gain a rhythm and build his confidence, he can improve his numbers and emerge as a perennial All-Star. The Wizards have plenty of faith in him in light of their decision to sign him to a max contract this summer.

Shooting has been a longtime shortcoming for Wall as well. To be fair, the dynamic floor general has improved over the course of his career, and his ridiculous quickness, knack for getting to the rim and prowess as a distributor help compensate for any lack of finesse to his jumper.

With Brooks steering the ship in Washington as someone who's advanced to the NBA Finals before, perhaps his leadership is what both Beal and Wall need to unlock their full potential.