With the off-season addition of all-star Bradley Beal, the Suns hope to be championship contenders this year after being eliminated by the eventual champions, the Denver Nuggets, in the 2023 Western Conference Finals. Phoenix beat the Warriors on opening night, but Beal did not play due to a lingering back issue. Will Bradley Beal play on Thursday against the Lakers? Let’s look at the most recent injury status and the effects it will have on tomorrow’s game.
Latest Bradley Beal Injury Update
Latest Bradley Beal Injury Update (new data inserted at 8:40 AM Eastern): Beal has been moved to doubtful for Thursday’s game, though there’s still sprinkles of optimism he’ll dress. This post will be updated closer to tip and/or when more information rises to the surface.
The latest Beal injury update lists him as questionable for Thursday’s game against the Lakers.
Suns’ new head coach Fran Vogel said he’s “hopeful” that Beal will be available for game 2 of the season on Thursday.
Without Beal, the Suns had no problem winning their first game on the road in San Francisco against the Warriors, 108-104. Early odds have the Suns as 1.5-2 point underdogs against the Lakers. If we get word that Beal is available to play, I expect the odds to move in favor of the Suns.
Beal has been a high-usage player his entire career in Washington, with a usage rate of 28% or more in each of his last four seasons. Beal played limited minutes in just two of the team’s five preseason games but garnered a 25% usage rate. Once Beal gets cleared to play, you can expect Devin Booker and Kevin Durant’s usage to drop a bit as Beal gets his share of the basketball.
Booker and Durant played 37 minutes each and combined for 11 assists and 43 field goal attempts against the Warriors. Grayson Allen got the start for Phoenix in Beal’s absence but shot 0-for-6 in just 21 minutes. Expect a reduced role for Allen and reserve Jordan Goodwin when Beal comes back.
