Bradley Beal Making Clippers Fans' Worst Nightmares Become Reality

There are plenty of things going wrong for the Los Angeles Clippers in their 3-5 start. They are a shell of themselves on the defensive side of the ball, Kawhi Leonard is already missing games with an ankle injury, and some of the older veterans like Chris Paul, Brook Lopez, and Bogdan Bogdanovic are showing serious signs of decline. Yet, perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the Clippers' start has been none other than Bradley Beal.

Beal signed a two-year, $11 million deal with the Clippers over the summer after agreeing to a contract buyout with the Phoenix Suns. They had such high expectations from the former All-Star shooting guard that they moved on from Norman Powell after his career season. So far, not only is Beal not meeting expectations, but he is also making Clippers fans' worst nightmares become reality.

Bradley Beal Has Been Nowhere Near Where He Needs to Be for the Clippers

A big reason why there was skepticism about the Beal signing was the fact that he has missed over 25 games in each of the last four seasons. His availability concerns and underwhelming performance when he has been available were arguably the biggest reasons the Suns imploded. This led to his eventual exit and things haven't changed for him in Los Angeles.

Beal has already missed three games this season, as he dealt with lower back soreness and is on a minutes restriction due to a right knee scope. He has been playing around 20 minutes per game and is averaging career lows across the board. The most concerning part is the inefficiency (a miserable 44.4% True Shooting) and shooting only 1.2 free throws per game. He also has more turnovers than assists for the season.

Things hit a new low for him on Thursday when he went up against his former team. Instead of a revenge game, he had a massive dud, finishing with 2/14 from the field for five points, one rebound, one assist, and two turnovers. The Clippers were -23 in his minutes.

The worst part of it was perhaps his post-game remarks. Beal said, "When you allow me to be that guy, I’ll be that. But when you have two coaches that want you to set screens and play in the dunker, you’re not Brad Beal. You’re somebody else," per Law Murray of The Athletic, before adding, "When’s the last time I shot 14 shots for the Suns?"

Beal averaged 13.5 shots per game during his Phoenix tenure. Last season, he took 14 shots in 25 games, almost half of his appearances. He had a 22.4% usage rate during his two years with the Suns. The idea that his role was small and he was only utilized in the dunker spot is ludicrous.

This is a delusional approach that takes zero accountability for what went down in Phoenix. Beal hasn't succeeded in being "that guy" in a long time. Thursday night was the latest example. Instead of trying to be "that guy", Beal needs to focus on staying healthy and fitting around James Harden and Kawhi Leonard.