Phoenix Suns star Bradley Beal began his NBA journey in 2012 when he was drafted by the Washington Wizards with the No. 3 overall pick. Now that he is entering his 13th season of his career, he looks forward to getting to know and teach the next generation of rookies coming up.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!In the 2024 NBA Draft, the Suns made different trades to eventually land Ryan Dunn (No. 28 pick) and Oso Ighodaro (No. 40). Phoenix also picked up Jalen Bridges and Moses Wood who were both undrafted.
With multiple players battling it out to crack the opening night roster, they will do everything they can to impress the front office and coaching staff enough to earn a spot. Some players are on two-way or training camp contracts and with the Suns now having a G League affiliate, the Valley Suns, that may be another avenue they go towards.
Having a bunch of new faces around the team, Beal explained that the rookie class that has come into the franchise is impressive and they have a realistic chance to make an impact.
“If you were going to ask who I enjoyed being around, I would have said the rookies because they are so attentive to detail and want to learn. They want to earn their keep here, so they ask me, KD [Kevin Durant] and Book [Devin Booker] questions constantly throughout the day, constantly picking our brains about stuff. I am excited for them because we are going to instill a lot in them and they are going to have the opportunity to provide some good stuff for us,” Beal said after training camp on Thursday. “I would say they’ve been really good for us so far. For young fellas and rookies, they are lightyears ahead of most rookies coming in.”
The rookies will try to get accustomed to how everything works and is different from playing basketball at the college level. Receiving an exuberant amount of resources and knowledge from those around them, they will understand quickly that the NBA can be ruthless sometimes on the court and business-wise like trades if they don’t perform up to standards.
Not only do rookies have the opportunity to play the best of the best, but what also comes with being a first-year player in the NBA is rookie duties. The new guys will have certain tasks for others like buying items for the veterans so that they create a stronger comradery and become more comfortable being in the league.
While Beal joked around that when he was a rookie and some of the things he had to do could have been illegal, it is a different era now but he outlined a few notes he had on a list which will give the rookies a good idea of what the team expects.
“I have a laundry list on my phone of rookie duties in my notes and I am going to send it to them right before the first preseason game this weekend,” Beal said, with a smirk. “They are going to have all of the travel stuff they gotta bring on the plane, making sure our towels are on our seats, carry some guys’ bags, certain snacks. Make sure you get somebody’s essentials, carrying bags, like you do everything as a rookie.
“If you argue, it gets even worse for you like messing around with your cars and stuff. They don’t want that to happen. I warned Oso [Ighodaro] since Oso is a little mouthy, I am like, ‘Alright O, if you catch the wrong vet, you might have your tires on bricks.’ I’ve seen it happen.”
For some people, this may sound grueling with what the rookies have to go through. For others like Beal, however, they have experienced it firsthand and know how important it is to build character.
“It keeps the energy fun and lax. Sometimes you got to let your hair down a little bit and have some fun. Rookies are always going to be goofy and learning is always good. Especially with Oso, we pick on him so much it is funny,” Beal said.
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Mercury, Suns and ASU Athletics for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
