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An NBA coach recently spoke with Heavy’s Sean Deveney and the anonymous Western Conference tactician sounded off on Patrick Beverley’s future with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers acquired Beverley from the Utah Jazz for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson. The Chicago native becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer and the coach who talked to Deveney believes Beverley could re-sign with the purple and gold.
“Thing about Pat is, he is 34, but he is kind of still in his prime, you know? Because what he does is not athleticism or breaking down a defense with his first step. No, he just plays a mental game,” the coach told Deveney. “He plays with intensity and he is smart. He has really good instincts. So look, this is the final year of his contract, but I would not be surprised if he stays a Laker after this. He will want something probably a little less than the mid-level, and if they step up, I would bet he’ll stick around.”
Beverley will earn $13 million in 2022-23. He appeared in 58 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves last season and averaged 9.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting 40.6% from the field, 34.3% from beyond the arc and 72.2% from the free-throw line.
Beverley Was Eager to Join Lakers
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on August 24th that Beverley was eager to join the Lakers, who missed the playoffs last season despite having stars LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. As a guest on the May 12th episode of ESPN’s “NBA Today,” Beverley said James was the one superstar he would play with if he could pick one.
“Bron. Easy. Top dog,” Beverley said.
Over the past five seasons, Beverley has held opponents to 41.9% shooting as the closest defender, second best among players defending at least 2,000 shots, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The veteran guard has never missed the playoffs.
“We are thrilled to add Patrick Beverley’s toughness and competitive spirit to our team,” Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said on August 25th, via Lakers.com. “We’re confident that Patrick’s ‘3-and-D’ style will fit in nicely with the other pieces of our roster, and align perfectly with Coach Ham’s philosophy of hard work and smart play.”
Beverley has career averages of 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists with the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers and Timberwolves.
Beverley Excited for Upcoming Season
Beverley spoke to the Lakers media on September 6th for the first time and the 34-year-old said he was excited about the upcoming season. The Arkansas product stated that the Lakers are a “matchup problem for anybody.”
“We’re a matchup problem,” Beverley said. “We’re a matchup problem for anybody. In order for us to be a matchup problem, we have to get to the playoffs, and playoffs are matchups, and we’re a matchup problem for everybody, across the board, and we know that. And our business is just getting to the playoffs, and we get to the playoffs, the guys who, all that polarizing figure, now you guys take us where we gotta go, that’s the mindset.”
The Lakers gave up 115.1 points per game last season, which was 28th of 30, and had a defensive rating of 113.3, 21st of 30. Beverley’s defense, toughness, passion and competitiveness could help Los Angeles win another championship.
“What I can add is a willingness to be prepared every day,” Beverley said. “I’m a very detailed man. Preparation is really big for me. My will ability. Willingness to be at practice on time, willingness to compete every day, willingness to win a lot of games and potentially go to the playoffs. A will factor.”
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