Bradley Beal makes history as an All-NBA snub originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
You may have heard this before: Wizards guard Bradley Beal was left off an awards list and has made history because of it.
It happened with the All-Star team and now the same has occurred for All-NBA. Beal was not included among the 15 players chosen for the 2019-20 All-NBA teams despite averaging 30.5 points per game, most in the East and second-most in the league.
He now has the highest scoring average for a player left off All-NBA since Bob McAdoo averaged 31.1 all the way back in 1975-76. It hasn't happened to this degree in 44 years.
In fact, Beal's scoring clip is third-highest for an All-NBA exclusion in league history. The highest belongs to Walt Bellamy, who did not make All-NBA despite scoring 31.6 points per game in 1961-62, the first year of the Wizards' franchise. They were then known as the Chicago Packers.
Clearly, the Wizards' 25-47 record, which was 24-40 when the votes were cast, was held against Beal. He was beat out for third-team All-NBA essentially by Russell Westbrook of the Rockets and Ben Simmons of the Sixers. Both played for better teams this season.
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Westbrook got one of the All-NBA guard spots for the sixth straight season and the ninth time in 10 years. That pedigree, plus his team's record and the fact he grabbed more rebounds and had more assists than Beal, made him hard to beat out.
In addition to winning, defense may have helped Simmons make the cut. He was also selected for the All-Defense team this season after leading the league in steals. And like Westbrook, Simmons averaged more rebounds and assists than Beal.
The question now becomes exactly what Beal can do in his power to change his standing with the voters. Evidently, scoring 30 points per game is not enough. He also averaged a career-high 6.1 assists.
No matter the numbers, Beal of course can be tied to the Wizards' record as he was their best player this season and had a bearing on their results. But he also can't win games all by himself. Like every star, he needs help.
Based on some of the ballot explainers released by awards voters, Beal's defense was also considered. He was part of arguably the league's worst defense this season and there were certainly some nights where he didn't guard the opponent's best player, likely to save some energy for his outsized role on offense.
So, he could be better defensively and the Wizards could win more games. Without those things, 30.5 points per game are not enough, even if they set him apart in the game's history.
