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Paul Pierce: Bradley Beal Is Best Shooting Guard in East, Passing Dwyane Wade
November 6, 2017
Bradley Beal has been red-hot over the last three games, and a former teammate of his has taken notice.
"I think he should be an All-Star this year without a doubt," Paul Pierce said on the Wizards Tipoff podcast, via Chase Hughes of NBC Sports. "With Dwyane Wade holding that crown for years, being the top 2-guard, I think Bradley Beal should be holding that crown now as the top 2-guard in all of the East."
Pierce, who spent the 2014-15 season with the Wizards and retired last season, is currently an NBA analyst for ESPN.
You don't have to be a future Hall of Famer to appreciate what Beal has done since the start of November. The 24-year-old has scored 40, 36 and 38 points over the last three games, making 57.1 percent of his shots. He also shot 47.8 percent from three-point range during that span.
He has raised his average to 25.7 points per game on the year, which not only would be a career high but also trails only James Harden, Damian Lillard and Stephen Curry among guards this season.
Considering Dwyane Wade is currently coming off the bench for the Cavaliers while averaging just 9.0 points per game, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who prefers him over Beal at this point in their respective careers.
After being considered one of the big All-Star snubs last season, the Wizards star appears to be on pace for his first appearance this year, possibly starting alongside teammate John Wall.
As for Beal being the best shooting guard in the East, DeMar DeRozan, Avery Bradley, Dion Waiters and Victor Oladipo might object to that label. No one has played better than Beal so far in 2017-18, however.