This Billy Donavan story shows Wizards almost didn't get Beal originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Coming off a strong freshman season at the University of Florida, Bradley Beal decided to enter the NBA Draft. Available at No. 3, the Washington Wizards selected the guard and he blossomed into a superstar. End of story, right?
Yes, that is true. But in an alternate reality that nearly came to fruition, that wasn't the case.
According to Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, who coached Beal at Florida during the 2011-12 season, the guard considered returning to school. The reason? He was really enjoying the major he was studying.
“He was a pre-med major in college… I was pretty confident that he was going to be a top-5 pick," Donovan said on Tuesday ahead of Chicago's win over the Wizards. "I still think he went back-and-forth about whether or not he should come back and try to mature and grow and even work closer towards a degree and maybe consider coming back for his sophomore year."
If Beal had opted to stay in school one more year to work on his pre-med track, there is no guarantee that his NBA career happens in Washington.
Given his talent, another year in college would have most likely only caused his draft stock to rise. Washington would need a lot of luck to once again end up with a lottery ball that allowed them to grab the guard early on. A sophomore season for Beal means no All-Star guard for Washington.
Luckily for the Wizards, Beal decided heading to the NBA was the right move for him at that time. Not that hindsight is needed here, but Donovan believes it was as well. The head coach has seen him continue to grow since his time in college, becoming one of the best players on and off the court in the league.
"He obviously made the right decision," Donovan said. "He’s a great guy, really good team guy, has a real clear understanding of what goes into winning and I think he’ll always be a guy that’s going to have a great impact on your locker room.”
Still, maybe one day Beal will be able to return his focus to his pre-med studies. "Dr. Bradley Beal for three" does have a pretty nice ring to it.
Tune in at 4 PM to NBC Sports Washington on Thursday for complete coverage of the Wizards matchup with the Chicago Bulls.
