New Orleans Pelicans: 2 Stars who’d become the team’s Jimmy Butler

After watching Bradley Beal’s 2020 season it’s safe to say he can make a huge impact on the New Orleans Pelicans

Bradley Beal- Washington Wizards

This is the player that I initially thought of when I first wrote my comparison of the Pelicans and Heat, Bradley Beal. After seeing John Wall go down with an Achilles injury, we’re seeing Beal turn into the perfect player for the New Orleans Pelicans to go after.

The reason I believe that is two-fold. First, Beal’s play on the court has transformed to elite levels. After losing Wall, Beal recognized that changing his game was the only way for the Washington Wizards to win.

That’s why in two seasons without Wall, we’ve seen Bradley Beal average 28 points a game and become one of the league’s deadliest scorers. Beal morphed from a player who is only viewed as a shooter, to a multi-faceted star who attacks the basket and creates his shots.

What’s even more impressive though is Beal’s evolution as a playmaker and a leader which is the second reason why I think Beal could make a monumental impact on the Pelicans. With Wall gone, Beal stepped up as a playmaker who operated the pick-and-roll, averaging 6 assists per game.

That playmaking on the court led to leadership off of the court as Beal began pulling his younger teammates aside and coaching them through mistakes. That coaching started to instill confidence in his teammates so they knew that no matter what the odds were they have a chance to win.

I see Bradley Beal’s development as one that’s strikingly similar to Jimmy Butler’s over the past two years and it makes me interested to see what Beal could do with young stars like Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson on his side. With reports suggesting that Beal wants out of Washington, the New Orleans Pelicans could build one of the most talented team’s in the NBA for years to come by acquiring Bradley Beal.