Three Things to Watch: Mavericks at Wizards 11/19

The likely return of Bradley Beal

Jan 1, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal (3) shoots the ball as Dallas Mavericks center Samuel Dalembert (1) defends in the first quarter at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Yesterday I wrote an opinion piece on how Randy Wittman shouldn’t worry about rushing Bradley Beal back to the court.

Well, it appears Wittman doesn’t want me as his life mentor, because sources close to the situation have told Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post that Beal will make his season debut tonight.

And although Beal told reporters after practice on Wednesday that he has not made a decision on tonight, a relative of Beal had this to say on Twitter and Instagram.

As it seems likely Beal will return to the floor tonight, he won’t be inserted into the starting lineup and his minutes will be limited.

But, that doesn’t mean he won’t make an impact.

Last season, Beal averaged 17.1 points per game on 41.9 percent shooting from the floor and 40.2 percent from three. His numbers went up in the playoffs to 19.2 points on 42.4 shooting and 41.5 percent from three.

His three-point shooting will give the Wizards a much-needed boost, as Washington is shooting just 32.8 percent from beyond the arc this season.

Beal’s defense should also help the Wizards against Monta Ellis. For his career, Beal has 121 steals and 47 blocks. While Garrett Temple has proven that he can guard a number of different players in the league, Ellis is one of the fastest players in the game and can get a shot off just about whenever he wants.

Although Beal will be limited in terms of minutes tonight, look for the Big Panda to make an impact whenever he’s on the court.