Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal were teammates just for a single season but it seems that the current Los Angeles Lakers point guard had an impact on the long-time Washington Wizards star.
According the Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard, with the departure of Westbrook to LA his co-star in Washington took on a more of a leader role. While he is not as vocal as Russ, his voice is heard and listened to.
“I see more and more of him pulling guys aside quietly and giving them points. He’s never going to be this loud, rah-rah screaming guy. But when he does speak up, everybody listens for sure. I just see that continued growth in him. I attribute most of it to he sees what’s needed and he takes care of it,” Sheppard said, per Chase Hughes of NBC Washington.
Sheppard also noticed that Beal is now more patient with the young players. He thinks that in part it was due to him becoming a father.
“Russell was a very vocal guy,” the team’s GM said. “Russell’s not here anymore, so I think Bradley adjusted a little to the room and said ‘hey, I need to speak up a little bit more often than I did.’ He’s done that. That’s something he figured out on his own and he’s done on his own. It’s just something I noticed.”
