When it was announced that John Wall suffered five non-displaced fractures in his left hand, a lot of people were quick to call it a season for the Washington Wizards.

Right now, their series against the Atlanta Hawks is all tied up. Regardless of the outcome of the series, not all will be lost in Wall’s absence.

Bradley Beal is coming off a disappointing, injury-riddled third season in the NBA.

After having All-Star aspirations, Beal suffered numerous injuries throughout the course of the season and never really found a rhythm.

During the regular season, Beal averaged just over 15 points per game on less than 43 percent shooting from the field.

Washington’s offense, at least during the regular season, wasn’t helping either. Beal consistently settled for mid-range jumpers and took what the defense gave him, as Randy Wittman would say.

His player efficiency rating (14.02) was below the league average.

Still, despite the underwhelming season, Beal still showed flashes of why so many believe he’s the best young shooting guard in the NBA.

When he didn’t settle for mid-range shots and took 3-point shots without hesitation, a shot that he knocked down nearly 41 percent of the time, Beal looked like the up-and-coming shooting guard that Wizards fans hoped to see prior to the beginning of the season.

In the NBA Playoffs, though, we’ve seen Bradley Beal morph into a player that’s worth the max-contract he’ll inevitably get from the Washington Wizards.

We saw Beal play at a similar level this past year, but this season, it’s been different. Beal’s demeanor has been different and Paul Pierce‘s influence on him has been evident. He’s no longer shying away from contact in the paint. He hasn’t been settling for as many inefficient looks, and most importantly, he’s adjusted to life without John Wall.

Beal since Wall went down: 23.7 PPG, 7.3 APG, 4.7 RPG, 2.3 SPG As a reference point, MVP Steph Curry's reg season: 23.8p, 7.7a, 4.3r, 2.0s — DC Paragon (@SportingParagon) May 12, 2015

Beal has become Washington’s primary ball-handler, often creating looks for his teammates that he otherwise wouldn’t with John Wall on the floor. Instead of constantly waiting in the corner or running without the ball, looking to get an open shot, Beal is creating his own shots off the dribble.

In Game-4 against the Hawks, Beal played arguably the best game of his career. He scored 34 points, dished out 7 assists, grabbed 6 rebounds and finished the game with 3 steals.

Off the box-score, Beal made life miserable for Kyle Korver, constantly chasing him around, not allowing him to get into a flow. In the first round, Beal helped shut down scoring threats in Lou Williams, DeMar DeRozan and Terrence Ross, but his performance against arguably the best shooter in the NBA has been even more impressive.

Bradley Beal, at 21-years-old, has become the Washington Wizards’ most important player while John Wall recovers from his hand injury.

He’s been constantly criticized this season, but it’s important to note just how young Beal is. Again, regardless of how the series ends, Bradley Beal has learned what it takes to be an elite player going forward and he probably wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity if Wall was healthy.

Now that Otto Porter has become a legitimate piece for the Washington Wizards, their future suddenly looks a lot brighter. Wall has already become a franchise player, and now that Beal and Porter are developing at a quick rate during the playoffs, Washington will have a chance to become a very special team sooner than expected.