Patrick Beverley is already turning heads as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. While the 33-year-old guard has been in LA before, it was as a member of the less-glamorous LA Clippers. Now, Beverley not only gets to play with a former mentor like LeBron James, but he also gets to play for the LA franchise that’s tied for the most titles in NBA history, the Lakers.
Beverley has already made extremely controversial comments about his value to the Lakers, saying that he isn’t excited to play with LeBron James and Anthony Davis because they didn’t make the playoffs last season while Beverley did with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Even if he hasn’t shown it in certain interviews, Beverley is grateful to be back in LA and on the Lakers. He had a Laker-themed birthday party, with a massive Lakers cake for his guests. However, fans have taken issue with Beverley’s lavish celebrations on joining LA and have expressed the same on social media.
How Will Patrick Beverley Impact The Lakers?
The Lakers will hope that Patrick Beverley brings the one thing he has brought to every team he has been on. Gritty defense.
Beverley is going to become the Lakers’ primary guard defender, which should also relieve some pressure off Russell Westbrook. In addition, Beverley has shown the ability to knock down 3-pointers, but he is not an extremely accurate sniper. Playing with interior forces like Westbrook, LeBron, and AD should get Beverley more open threes than he has had before.
If he can be the one to hold every member of the locker room accountable and demand the best performances from them, maybe the Lakers have a chance. The talent has always been there on the team, but the roster pieces have been clunkily put around the star players. The Lakers will hope that Beverley is a system player that can motivate everyone around him to give 100% effort every night.
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