Bradley Beal has the potential to be a classic shooter and join John Wall in a solid back court He was the right pick at No. 3 for Washington, the perfect back-court complement to John Wall next season as the Wizards try to wake a slumbering fan base and become part of the NBA conversation again. In point of fact, Beal actually could be a big reason why the Wizards don't lose Wall to another team in two years. Even if he doesn't start immediately, he represents the best insurance that Wall may stick around past 2014 when his rookie deal expires. The freshman, whose coach at Florida, Billy Donovan, compared to Ray Allen, meets a need for a franchise that has struggled to make so many important shots at the end of games the past few seasons. Beal is that one player on the perimeter Wall could actually grow to have confidence in to make big shots. Because now, with the way Wall goes to the hole with reckless abandon - hoping beyond hope someone fouls him or he gets to the rim before his man - it doesn't look like the team's starting point guard and best player trusts anyone for very long. Who can blame him with a team that comes out of another dismal season in the bottom 10 of shooting percentage in the NBA? Beal doesn't turn the Wizards into a playoff team next season, but he is a building block who could mature into one of the best role players in the league within three years, a player who could prevent the umpteenth draft night lottery party in Washington, where recently it could just be labeled, The "Hey, We Got Another 19-Year-Old" Party. "I don't want to be in the lottery anymore," Ted Leonsis said prior to the draft Thursday night at Verizon Center. The team owner added, "I would find that unacceptable." There are real playoff aspirations, believe it or not, with the Wizards. To imagine even a first-round elimination at the hands of the world champion Miami Heat next season seems like a stretch, at least on paper. Going into next year, the Wizards could start Wall at point guard, Jordan Crawford at shooting guard, Trevor Ariza at small forward, Nene at more of a scoring power forward and Emeka Okafor at center. Beal probably comes off the bench along with Trevor Booker and Chris Singleton and others fighting for minutes. 8 and final seed last season in the Eastern Conference went to the New York Knicks. Their starting lineup next season is probably Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, Jeremy Lin, a rehabbed Iman Shumpert and Tyson Chandler. Steve Novak, a deadeye marksman from outside, comes off the bench. I don't know about you, but envisioning the Wizards with more wins than the Knicks is a tough sell. But those mental gymnastics are for later. On Thursday night, Washington got a great shooter at No. Shooters are not a dime a dozen. Players can work on their shot forever - Magic Johnson turned himself into a decent jump-shooter - but the truly good ones learned young that they had a gift only a few in this world can boast about. Bradley Beal is one of them. That's what the scouts say. That's what everybody who has coached him says. And that is what the film shows, swish after swish after swish. If he becomes that one guy Wall depends upon to make a big shot, if Beal becomes the one player who takes the scoring load off of the team's overwhelmed-with-responsibility point guard, he does his job. It may take a couple of years - just as the Wizards becoming a bona fide playoff team may take a couple of years. But Bradley Beal arriving as a special player in this league might just be worth that wait. For Mike Wise's previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/wise.