Coming off a disastrous tenure with the Phoenix Suns, expectations were modest for Bradley Beal going into the 2025-26 campaign. However, in a recent appearance on "Club Shay Shay," longtime Clippers coach Tyronn Lue detailed exactly how Beal's arrival will help achieve their goals and elevate their status in the West.
“Bradley Beal has been a perennial All-Star, who’s averaged 30 a couple of times in his career," said Lue. "He’s definitely going to be a big help for us offensively. We’re gonna need him to score, but outside of scoring, we’re [going to] need him to make plays for other guys, too. He’s gonna draw two or three guys, and he can make a pass or a play.”
Beal, 32, joined the Clippers this summer after reaching terms on a buyout from the Suns. With career averages of 21.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game on 46.4% shooting, he's well-regarded as a scorer and will provide a major spark offensively. Even on the other end, Lue says that Beal can make a bigger impact than you'd expect.
“Defensively, he’s always been good, but you gotta challenge him every night," Lue added. "If he’s on bad players, he’s not as good. But when he’s guarding a guy that can play, he’s a really good defender.”
For years, the Clippers have been on the edge of title contention, but they've yet to make a lasting playoff run. The closest they ever got to the title was the 2021 NBA Western Conference Finals, when they lost to the Suns in six games.
Ever since, it's been one failure after another for the Clippers, which ultimately led to the departure of Paul George three years later. Now, with a healthy team and a revamped roster built on a core of Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Bradley Beal, the Clippers are back in play for the title, and Lue believes their potential is limitless.
With Kawhi and Harden, the Clippers were able to finish fifth in the West last season, and they took the Nuggets to seven games in an impressive feat against 3x MVP Nikola Jokic. They ultimately lost the series, but they are set to return this upcoming season with even more firepower.
While Bradley Beal may not be their best player, he'll be one of their most important players in determining the success of the 2025-26 campaign. After 13 years of uneventful playoff runs, this is his last chance to prove he can win at the highest level, and he seems up for the challenge.
Dwyane Wade believes he can be the missing piece for them, but it will all depend on whether he's given the freedom to play his game. Fortunately, Tyronn Lue is one of the best coaches in the league, and it sounds like he's already got a definitive game plan for how to bring out the best in the 3x All-Star.
More than anything, success for the Clippers will depend on whether the roster can stay healthy through the season and into the playoffs. As an older team of veteran players, Beal isn't the only one with an extensive injury history, and figuring out how to manage the load while building up team chemistry on the court will be one of Lue's biggest challenges with his particular group.
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