Wizards' Bradley Beal: Hamstring Injury Is Something That 'Won't Heal in a Week'

As the Washington Wizards prepare to face the Boston Celtics in the play-in tournament on Tuesday, star Bradley Beal continues to work through a hamstring injury—and he's not quite sure when he will be fully healthy.

Beal told The Athletic's David Aldridge that he knows his hamstring injury may not heal in a week or two:

"The toughest thing for me is, as a player, with injuries, you have to be selfish. You have to look at yourself and think about your career...my biggest thing is being on the floor, being available. My first four years in the league, I had that injury-prone label to my name, so I absolutely hate when I miss games. This injury, in particular, I know it's something that—it won't heal in a week. Hell, I don't even know if it'll heal in two weeks. James Harden, I think he missed a month. It's different grades of strains. You never know. Your hamstring is so delicate. My final decision came down to, do I want the first time me coming back onto the floor with this injury to be in a must-win game, with me trying to do everything on the fly with a super important game? If I had just come back, played on Tuesday, I don't know how I would have been."

Beal missed three of Washington's final four regular-season games, and there have been concerns about the lingering effects as the Wizards head into the play-in tournament.

The Florida product made his third All-Star Game this season and played some of the best basketball of his career while averaging 31.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

Beal and Russell Westbrook make Washington a dangerous threat to the top seeds in the Eastern Conference, but in order for the Wizards to make a deep run, they are going to need Beal to be healthy.

Washington will play Boston at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to play the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs. The loser will face the winner of the Charlotte Hornets-Indiana Pacers play-in game for the 8th seed on Thursday, which will result in a first-round matchup with the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers.