In a first-round NBA playoff game that ended this week, the Phoenix Suns lost 116-122 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, becoming the first team to be eliminated this season and the first team to be swept this season. As the Suns' most important signing of the season, Beal struggled throughout the game, finishing with just nine points, one rebound and two assists on 4-of-13 shooting, along with six turnovers and six fouls. He ignored head coach Frank Vogel's high-five as he left the court in the final moments of the fourth quarter, a move that happened to be captured on camera and sparked a lot of discussion.
Beal spoke about the situation after the game, clarifying that his reaction was not disrespectful to Vogel, but his own disappointment with his performance and the direction of the game. Beal explained: "I was just frustrated with the foul and I knew I had to leave the game and it wasn't about the coach. Damn, I'm sorry, this move may seem bad, but it has nothing to do with the coach, I promise nothing. ”
This season has been challenging for Beal, who moved from the Washington Wizards to the Suns in a big trade involving multiple players and draft picks last summer, and the Suns did not hesitate to destroy their roster depth to acquire Beal in order to bolster their offensive firepower and hope to go far in the playoffs, but when they were swept by the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs, all hope was dashed.
In the regular season, Beal averaged just 18.2 points, five assists and 4.4 rebounds per game, a far cry from his peak with the Washington Wizards and seemingly unable to fit into the Suns' offensive and defensive system. At the time, he was blamed on injuries at the start of the season, and he was not given enough time to settle in with the team. But what people didn't expect was that his performance in the playoffs slipped further, averaging 16.5 points, 4.5 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game.
The Suns are now facing an offseason that needs to be rethought and changed, and the only players they can trade are Durant, Booker and center Nurkic, and Beal is the only active player with a trade veto, so the Suns can't make their own decisions about trading him. For Beal, this season has certainly been disappointing, and the small incident of ignoring the coach's high-five has highlighted his frustration with himself, and his quick response and apology suggest that he intends to learn from his mistakes and focus on making a positive contribution to the team in the future.