Beal, Dinwiddie show off skills in pickup game with other NBA stars originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
One way in which dozens of NBA players keep their skills sharp during the offseason is by competing in pickup games with other fellow pros. Wizards star shooting guard Bradley Beal and the new arrival from Brooklyn—point guard Spencer Dinwiddie—did just that this weekend as they hit the hardwood for a friendly game with other all-stars.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
The event was hosted by Drew Hanlen, a renowned basketball trainer and skills coach who has worked with countless superstars over the past several years. In addition to D.C.’s backcourt, other recognizable faces—like Jayson Tatum, Zach Lavine, Enes Kanter, Cheick Diallo and others—participated as well.
Beal’s first notable moment came when he brought the ball upcourt and sunk a beautiful jab-step, step-back triple with Lavine draped on him. His 3-point accuracy is something Wizards fans will hope to see much of during the 2021-22 campaign. Beal had a nice mixture of crafty ballhandling, midrange and long-range shooting throughout the video Hanlen posted on Twitter.
Dinwiddie is one of the many new faces who will grace the nation’s capital this upcoming season, as he arrived from Brooklyn as part of the Russell Westbrook trade to the Lakers. The first look at Dinwiddie (at about 1:05 into the video) was just pure, gorgeous basketball: a hesitation drive, spin move in the paint, a head-fake to get his defender in the air, capped off with an underhand layup. Plays like that will get the Washington faithful on their feet at Capital One Arena.
The Wizards will kick off their season with a preseason matchup against John Wall and the Rockets on Oct. 5. Then, Washington fans will get their first regular-season look at Beal, Dinwiddie and other intriguing players with an away game in Toronto on Oct. 20.
