Sixers: 5 storylines to watch in opening round vs. Wizards

Sixers storyline to watch: Beal’s hammy

If there’s any one player who is going to win Washington a game or two, it’s Bradley Beal. The 27-year-old has cemented his status as one of the NBA’s premier scorers. If it weren’t for a late Stephen Curry flourish and a bad hamstring, Beal may have led the league in scoring for a second consecutive year. He averaged 31.3 points per game on the season.

That said, Beal enters this series at less than 100 percent health due to a lingering hamstring issue. He performed admirably in the play-in tournament — 25 points in 28 minutes on 9-for-17 shooting in Thursday’s routing of Indiana — but there’s real concern over his durability.

Beal has given his heart and soul to Washington and been given very little back his entire career. He is going to play through it and play hard, even if there’s an increased risk of injury. The Sixers should not expect Beal to roll over, but by that same token, just how healthy he looks will likely determine whether this is a competitive five or six games, or a sweep.

The Sixers have several capable defenders to toss at Beal. Matisse Thybulle will get his swings in off the bench, Ben Simmons will inevitably spend some possessions there, and Danny Green will have the misfortune of starting most games on the three-time All-Star. Beal’s explosiveness and stamina is probably the indicator to watch in this series.