Grayson Allen set a Phoenix Suns franchise record on Thursday with seven 3-pointers in the first quarter of their home win over the Toronto Raptors. Allen’s counterpart at guard, Bradley Beal, was just as impressive, but with another stat.
Beal, who is playing point guard with Devin Booker sidelined due to an ankle injury, inished with eight assists, two of which went to Allen. Beal played fewer than 10 percent of his minutes at point guard with the Washington Wizards last season, per NBA.com, but is proving he can be a dynamic player at the position in part due to the pressure he puts on the rim.
I think Bradley Beal, the last two games, has done a phenomenal job organizing us,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said postgame. “A lot of talk about us not having a point guard, he’s doing a great job playing point guard for us, like leading our team and quarterbacking.”
Bradley Beal thriving as Suns’ part-time point guard
Beal has 62 drives in the last three games, according to NBA.com/stats. He had 20 in the Suns’ 120-113 win over the Raptors, creating easy scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates.
“There’s also not a lot of point guards around the league that can touch the paint the way he can touch the paint,” added Vogel.