A teenaged Beal, at the behest of his mother, would begin each basketball season with a note to himself, writing long-term goals on a piece of paper. He’d scribble how many points he wanted to average, how many wins he envisioned, what tournaments he hoped to dominate. The venture wasn’t finished once pen departed paper.

On Friday evening, the Phoenix Suns will be in Oklahoma City to play the Thunder. For the game, the Suns will be without one of their best players, as Bradley