OKC Thunder host Cinderella East Wizards – Preview

Key matchups:

The primary attention will be focused on Bradley Beal although he finally has more depth surrounding him.

With his new supporting cast, Beal hasn’t been tasked with carrying as much of the scoring burden. Which to this point in the season is a good thing given his 3-point shooting hasn’t quite been on par with previous seasons.

A season ago Beal averaged 31.3 points per game on 20.6 field goal attempts. He attempted 6.2 shots from the perimeter connecting with 34.9 percent efficiency. This season Beal is scoring 23.3 points but his 3-point efficiency is only 26.7 percent the lowest of his career.

Sometimes it can take players a while to get into a rhythm yet a month is a long time to be so far off the mark. It’s possible the ball is bothering him as some players have mentioned but this is a significant drop-off. In fact, Beal has never shot worse than 34.9 percent from deep – mind you that was last season.

While Westbrook is no longer on the Wizards, the new point guard Spencer Dinwiddie actually fits with Beal better. He’s a smart guard who’ll orchestrate the offense and will compliment Beal with his scoring.

The other player the Thunder will need to counter is Montrezl Harrell who has rediscovered a perfect fit for his game in Washington. This is the Trez who won Sixth Man of the Year, not the one who never fit with the Lakers.