Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker were snubbed by the NBA when they were left off the All-Star team this season. Beal, a two-time NBA All-Star with appearances in the last two All-Star games, didn’t take kindly to being overlooked.
Beal, the NBA’s sixth-best scorer with 28.7 ppg, is playing the best season of his eight-year career. Yet, somehow, the NBA strangely left him off this year’s All-Star team. It certainly didn’t help his cause that the Wizards are 16-31, and nowhere close to making the postseason.
“Bradley Beal was snubbed,” said Wizards teammate Thomas Bryant. “Hands down, 100 percent. This should be unexplainable. BB should be a shoo-in. It’s just not right.”
Devin Booker, ranked #8 in the NBA in scoring with 27.1 ppg, might be one of the best scorers in the NBA that you don’t know about. He plays in obscurity with the Phoenix Suns. There’s a legitimate West Coast bias unless you play for the Lakers, Clippers, or Golden State Warriors. Just ask Damian Lillard. He’s been playing amazing ball while flying under the radar in the Pacific Northwest for the past seven years.
Beal WTF Snub?
The Washington Wizards selected Beal with the third overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. He played a one-and-done season with Florida before heading to the NBA.
Beal averaged 13.9 points in his rookie season. He averaged 17 points twice in his first four seasons with the Wizards. In his fifth year, the Wiz named Beal their starting shooting guard. He blossomed, and his scoring average jumped to 23.1 points per game.
Two seasons ago, Beal averaged 22.6 points per game and earned a spot on his first All-Star squad.
Last season, Beal increased his average to 25.6 points and posted career-highs in assists (5.5), rebounds (5.0), and steals (1.5). He earned a spot on his second All-Star team.
This season, Beal averages 28.7 points per game, which is sixth-best in the NBA. He’s dishing out a new career-high in assists with 6.4 dimes per game. Even with career numbers, Beal went unrecognized by the NBA with the All-Star snub. Strange indeed.
“I’m a little pissed off about it,” Beal told beat reporters. “I was kind of expecting it, honestly. It’s disrespectful, but the real ones know I’m an All-Star. I’ll just keep competing.”
Beal recently dropped 47 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Booker Chilly Desert Snub
Let’s be honest, the Suns (20-27) aren’t exactly must-see TV. I doubt many fans subscribe to NBA League Pass to exclusively watch the Suns. If you’re watching a Suns game, it’s because your hometown team is playing them, or you’re a degenerate gambler sweating action on one of the bottom feeders in the Western Conference.
The Suns originally drafted Booker out of Kentucky as one of the numerous one-and-done players under coach John Calipari. He came off the bench and earned the SEC Sixth Man of the Year. The Suns selected Booker with the #13 pick in the 2015 NBA draft.
Booker averaged 13.8 points in his rookie season, which earned a spot on the All-Rookie team. In his second season, Booker started every game. His average exploded to 22.1 ppg. He also erupted for 70 points one night. He set a Suns franchise record for most points in a game. Booker also set a new NBA record for youngest player to score 70 points or more in a game
Booker averaged 24.9 points in his third season, but didn’t make the All-Star team. He participated in the 2018 3-point contest. Booker won it, and hoped the exposure would raise his profile.
Last season, he averaged a career-high 26.6 points and 6.8 assists per game. Booker’s stats were worthy of an All-Star nod, but the NBA shafted him with a snub.
Booker is currently averaging a career-high 27.1 points per game, yet he failed to receive an invite to the All-Star game for a second year in a row.
Booker drew a snub from the NBA during his hottest streak of the season. He’s been on a tear since Christmas, scoring at least 32 or more points in 13 out of his previous 16 games.
According to William Hill, the Phoenix Suns are 375/1 odds to win the 2020 NBA championship. The Washington Wizards are 750/1 odds to win the NBA title.
