“Pat Bev for all his barking he's got some bite” – NBA analyst considers Patrick Beverley a better playmaker than Russell Westbrook, praises him for his IQ and shooting abilities
The LA Lakers will be debuting their new backcourt of Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook this season. Many expected Westbrook to be traded in the offseason, but no team was willing to take on him and his sizeable contract.
One of the Lakers' key moves to upgrade their supporting cast was brining in veteran point guard Beverley. They hope his hard-nosed style on and off the court will help them get back into the playoff picture.
After how things unfolded last season, many are curious to see if Westbrook can bounce back from his sub-par performance last season. They are also keen to see if he'll change his playstyle to be a winner for the team even to the detriment of his personal stats.
At their respective peaks, Westbrook was a far better player than Beverley. One is a multi-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer, while the other is a high-quality role player. That being said, at this moment in time, the former LA Clippers guard might be the more valuable player to the Lakers.
During a recent episode of "The Skip Bayless Show," FS1's Skip Bayless gave his thoughts on the LA Lakers' starting guards. Bayless believes Beverly is more essential to the Lakers' success than Westbrook and said:
"I got to tell you, Pat Bev for all his barking he's got some bite. I just think he's a good basketball player. Not a great one, but a good one, [a] high IQ playmaker.
"Patrick Beverly is a more valuable basketball player than Russell Westbrook is right now."
Is Patrick Beverley more valuable to the LA Lakers right now than Russell Westbrook?
At this moment in time, it's hard to disagree with Skip Bayless' statement. Patrick Beverley fills a lot more gaps with respect to what the LA Lakers need than Russell Westbrook does.
If LA is going to maximize the two-man game of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, they will need efficient shooters around them. During his four years with the LA Clippers, Beverley shot around 40% from 3-point range every season. His percentage took a dip in Minnesota last season, but history is certainly on his side.
Another area the Lakers need to improve is on defense. As a three-time All-Defense nominee, Patrick Beverley will help on that end of the floor as well. He may only stand at 6'1", but has guarded much bigger guards with plenty of success throughout his career.
Caught a vibe today with the homies #LakerNation
Beverley is a player who always wants to win and tries to instill the right mentality in his team by whatever means necessary. He proved that last year with the Minnesota Timberwolves and will look to do the same with the LA Lakers.