Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal had another impressive outing off the bench on Thursday, going for 25 points and seven rebounds on 11 of 16 from the field in a win over the Atlanta Hawks. That was Beal's second 25-point outing since he was removed from the starting lineup earlier this month.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Devin Booker explained the mental challenge of having so many ball-dominant scorers on the floor at the same time and why Beal can now "play free."
"He understands his spots with that lineup and understands it's his job to be aggressive," Booker said. "It can be a little frustrating when we're all out there, and I go through it too. When you take two shots in a row and you're like, 'man, I'm out here with KD and Brad, I need to get them involved.' So just not even having that on your conscious [sic] and just getting to play free can do a lot for anybody."
After a strong start to the season, the Suns began to struggle in December and tumbled down the standings in the crowded Western Conference. Eventually, amid a 1-7 skid, new Suns coach Mike Budenholzer decided to shake things up. He sent Beal and veteran center Jusuf Nurkic to the bench and replaced them with Ryan Dunn and Mason Plumlee.
Thus far, the results have been mixed. The Suns are 2-1 with their new starting lineup, and while Beal has had some big games, he also shot 5 of 13 in a loss to the lowly Charlotte Hornets. Beal, for his part, is still trying to adjust to his new role. The Suns' win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 6 was the first time Beal had come off the bench since the 2015-16 season.
"Every moment [has been weird]," Beal said after the win over the Hawks. "But again, I'm not gonna be a distraction, I'm not gonna be an asshole, I'm not gonna be unprofessional. I'm gonna do my job, do what I'm asked to do. I always take pride in my game, in who I am, in what I do. This is no different. I guess it's just more magnified because it's something that people are not used to seeing."
Adding to the intrigue in Phoenix is the Jimmy Butler trade talk. Butler, who is currently suspended by the Miami Heat, has reportedly indicated that the Suns are his preferred destination. Beal is the obvious candidate to leave the Suns in any such deal, but he has a no-trade clause. "I hold the cards," Beal said earlier this week when asked about the situation. It's certainly possible that benching Beal could be an attempt to make Beal more willing to waive that no-trade clause and accept a move elsewhere.
This year's trade deadline is Feb. 6. That gives the Suns plenty of time to potentially turn things around with this new lineup or work on a potential Beal trade.
