Is Bradley Beal playing tonight against the Miami Heat? | 2021-22 NBA season

The Washington Wizards, led by their headliner Bradley Beal, will face the Miami Heat on Tuesday night in Eastern Conference action.

The Washington Wizards (17-16) are seventh in the Eastern Conference under rookie coach Wes Unseld Jr. but have lost eight of their last 11 games. Washington will be trying to come away with a win against Miami (21-13), which is fourth in the East.

One of the reasons the Wizards have had an indifferent start to the season is because of the new faces on the roster. Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope arrived as part of the Russell Westbrook trade and have done well to establish chemistry.

Beal has missed five games this season, but the franchise has managed to win four of those games.

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Bradley Beal is questionable for tonight's game against the Miami Heat

Bradley Beal against the Utah Jazz

Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal has been officially listed as questionable for Tuesday night's game in Miami.

Beal last played for the Wizards on Dec. 18 in a 109-103 win on the road against one of the NBA's best teams, the Utah Jazz. Beal scored 37 points in that victory.

Beal has been in the NBA's health and safety protocols since then but is expected to play Tuesday night against the Heat. Washington went 1-1 in his absence, beating the New York Knicks but losing to the Philadelphia 76ers.

However, it is not expected Beal will be in top condition, and his minutes may be monitored closely. Unseld Jr. might be tempted to limit Beal's playing time as he returns from the protocols.

A win against one of the East's top teams would be a nice boost for Washington. Plus, the Wizards will begin a four-game homestand Thursday. That stretch will be followed by a two-game road trip and then a massive eight-game homestand. So, in all, Washington will play 10 of its next 12 games after playing in Miami. The final game of that 10-game homestand is Jan. 25.

If Washington can take advantage of the home games, they may be able to regain the momentum of its 9-3 start. January is, thus, a crucial month for the Wizards if they want to establish themselves in the playoff race.

Beal averages 23.3 points, 5.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting the ball better than 45% from the field. He has notched two double-doubles this season.