Who’s the Best Backcourt in the NBA? John Wall and Bradley Beal Say They Are

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John Wall, Bradley Beal
Photo via: Google Images
John Wall, Bradley Beal
Photo: AP Photo/Alex Brandon

 

The Washington Wizards’ prized backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal were interviewed by ESPN’s Hannah Storm in her “Sunday Conversation” segment that aired on SportsCenter this past Sunday, and of course the topic of best backcourt in the league came up. 

In a guard-driven league such as the NBA is today, there are many 1-2 pairings that could contend for the best backcourt title. 

Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler are dangerous when they’re healthy and on their games, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan pack a potent punch when they click, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum have been torching the nets in Portland, and even Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight have been a pleasant early season surprise down in Phoenix.

But then you have the elite likes of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who in my opinion reign supreme in the best backcourt lane, the underrated duo of Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and J.J. Redick and last, but certainly not least Wall and Beal. 

Despite the fact that Golden State’s backcourt is coming off of seasons in which both players accomplished tremendous accolades, including an NBA title, the MVP award for Curry, and an unfathomable 37-point third quarter explosion for Thompson, Wall and Beal still feel as if they’re the top backcourt in the Association. 

Conversation between Wall/Beal and Storm:

Storm: Who’s the best backcourt in the NBA right now, in your estimation?

Wall and Beal, simultaneously: “We are.”

Storm: Some people would say it’s Curry and Thompson. How would you make that argument?

Wall: “We are.”

Beal: “We are.”

Storm: Because?

Beal: “Both ends.”

Wall: “Both ends. We play both ends of the court.”

Storm: Offense and defense.

Beal: “We’re just competitive.”

Wall: “We take nothing away from them, but we just feel like we’re the best. I’m never going to say anybody’s better.

In a league with a talented slew of guards, this debate will rage on for the foreseeable future. As of right now, Curry and Thompson wear the crown, but that’s not to undermine the talents of Wall and Beal who I feel are second in the backcourt heat.

Curry may not be the one-man wrecking crew that Wall is defensively, but his incompetence on that end have been exaggerated, as he’s become an improved defender over the years. Thompson is one of the better two-way players in the NBA and can guard one-through-three, while Beal looks to catch up to the other three on that side of the ball. 

Unfortunately us fans will have to wait until Feb. 3 until Wall and Beal get a chance to prove that proclamation, as that’s the first matchup in the season series between the two ball-clubs.

In a league where confidence is key, Wall and Beal would be crazy to go on a national sports television platform such as ESPN and concede that those Bay Area boys are better than them. Their estimation may be incorrect, but they must be commended for their confidence. 

 

 

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