On Nov. 20, former Florida Gator Bradley Beal made NBA history.
Squeezing through two Milwaukee Bucks defenders, Beal received a pass from teammate John Wall and threw up a 26-foot jumper. Count it. Beal gave the Wizards a second-half lead over the Bucks and became the youngest player in NBA history to make 700 three-pointers.
Through 19 games this season, Beal is the league’s 10th leading scorer, averaging 24.2 points per game. The Wizards sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings and head into a two-game road trip this week.
Here’s how other former Gators have performed through two months of the NBA’s regular season.
Former Gator Al Horford and the Boston Celtics (18-4) hold the best record in the NBA. Horford has contributed heavily to Boston’s success, leading the team in field goal percentage, rebounds and blocks. During a 16-game win streak — which was broken last week in a loss to the Miami Heat — Horford averaged over 14 points per game, excluding the 2 games he didn’t play in due to a concussion. After a stretch of 4 games scoring in single digits, Horford dropped 21 points on 3-of-4 shooting from behind the arc in a victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. The Celtics face the Philadelphia 76ers at home on Thursday night.
The 2010-11 SEC Player of the Year, Chandler Parsons, continues to struggle with injuries as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. After contributing 12 points and six rebounds, Parsons left Sunday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets due to tightness in his right knee. His status is currently day to day. The Grizzlies have lost eight straight games heading into a matchup with the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
Also struggling to win games, the Orlando Magic have fallen to 8-12 after an 8-4 start to the season. Former Gator Marreese Speights is playing just under 12 minutes per game and averaging over 8 points in his 10th season in the league. His biggest performance so far came in a loss to Denver on Nov. 11, when Speights scored 19 points, including a deep three-pointer made while drawing a foul late in the third quarter.
The Los Angeles Lakers continue to benefit from Corey Brewer’s veteran presence. While scoring well below his career average of 9 points per game, Brewer has impressed his coaching staff on the defensive end. In a Nov. 13 victory over the Phoenix Suns, Brewer scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting and connected on a crucial three-pointer with just over five minutes to play.
Dallas Mavericks power forward Dorian Finney-Smith has seen limited minutes due to a knee injury. After missing only one game his rookie season, Finney-Smith has sat out 12 of the team’s first 20 games this year. He last played in a Nov. 12 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Miami Heat captain Udonis Haslem came off the bench for the first time this season with 3:26 left to play in a blowout loss to the Pacers on Nov. 19. He converted on his single field goal attempt.
Joakim Noah played for the first time this season Monday night when the New York Knicks hosted the Portland Trailblazers. Noah recorded two points and one rebound in two minutes of action during the team’s 103-91 loss. After an offseason trade introduced Enes Kanter to the Knicks’ lineup and a suspension sidelined Noah for 20 games, the former Gator seems to be the team’s fourth option at the center position.
You can follow Benjamin Brandt on Twitter @bhb1227, and contact him at bbrandt@alligator.org.
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal, right, dribbles against Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
