COVID-19 strikes again. Following the emphatic 108-80 win over Argentina, the mood around the men’s USA basketball team lightened. However, today the team hits another snag. This time, in the form of losing Bradley Beal to the protocol for an indefinite period. Although the team didn’t officially announce the news, multiple indicate Beal as the unnamed player.
Wizards star Bradley Beal has entered health and safety protocols at Team USA camp, placing his return to play status up in the air, sources tell me and @joevardon.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 15, 2021
While the news doesn’t doom Beal from playing in Tokyo, the unknown timetable for his return leaves room for doubt. Losing Beal at this juncture would come as a blow to Team USA considering some of their other options. However, the flexibility of Team USA in the ability to pull NBA-level players from their Select team may serve as a saving grace.
In team USA’s win over Argentina, Beal scored 17 points, grabbed six boards, and dished three assists. Losing such a scoring threat doesn’t bode well for a team searching for rhythm. While Beal’s Olympic future remains up for speculation, we will know more on the matter soon.
