Bradley Beal favored to lead NBA in scoring in 2022

If someone were to write an early reader book about Bradley Beal’s offseason it would probably be titled Mr. Beal’s Summer Bummer. Not only did the 28-year-old shooting guard suffer though back-to-back defeats to Nigeria and Australia as a member of Team USA, but he was later left off the U.S. squad altogether after contracting COVID-19. It was, in the words of another children’s book, a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad summer.

"As far as Bradley’s concerned, I’m dying for him," U.S. head coach Gregg Popovich said after dropping Beal from his roster. "We all are. Since he was a little kid, this has been a dream of his. He was playing great, he was having fun, being a big part of us coming together chemistry-wise, and his family — so for him, for his immediate family, it’s devastating. We just feel horrible about it."

The good news for Beal is that oddsmakers are expecting him to return with a vengeance when the 2021-22 season tips off. The three-time All-Star currently has the shortest odds to lead the league in scoring, followed by Dallas Mavericks sensation Luka Doncic, and Golden States Warriors point guard Steph Curry.

It isn’t surprising to see Beal at the top of the oddsboard. After all, he led the NBA in scoring for most of the 2020-21 campaign before losing the title on the final day of the season when Curry exploded for 46 points against the Memphis Grizzlies. Curry’s final 32.0 average edged out Beal by an excruciating 0.7 points.

Curry will have to share the spotlight - and the ball - in 2022

Curry is as good as ever, but he may not have as many opportunities to score this season with the return of his fellow Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, who is finally healthy after losing two seasons to injury. Golden State also added free agent forward Otto Porter Jr. and drafted Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, all of whom will need the rock.

Beal's usage should increase next season

The Wizards also made big changes this offseason when they traded Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and Kyle Kuzma, and signed free agent point guard Spencer Dinwiddie.

Washington may miss Westbrook’s dynamism, but they certainly won’t miss his tendency to dribble the air out of the ball. The former MVP ranks first among all active players in usage percentage, and wasted many possessions that could have been better used by Beal, who shot a career-high 48.5% from the field in 2020-21.

Doncic is riding high after Olympic performance

Further down the oddsboard is Dallas’ do-everything point guard, Luka Doncic. The versatile superstar averaged 27.7 points in 2020-21, and was arguably the best player at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where he led an overmatched Slovenian team to the semifinals.

Doncic is entering his fourth season in the league and is already the youngest player in NBA history to record three triple-doubles and register 35 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists in a game.

Expect "Ice Trae" to heat up

Bettors looking for a live longshot may want to consider Trae Young at +3000. The Atlanta Hawks point guard finished 15th in the league in scoring last season at 25.3 points per game, and was virtually unstoppable once the playoffs arrived. “Ice Trae” dropped 30 points or more eight times in his postseason debut, and likely would added to that total had he not been hobbled by a sprained ankle in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The 2021-22 NBA season is scheduled to begin on Oct. 19, 2021 and runs until April 10, 2022. With any luck, it will culminate in a storybook ending for Beal.