“He might pop up a whole new team or something.… I would love him with Minnesota” - Patrick Beverley believes it’s hard to bet against LeBron James winning another ring
LeBron James winning another ring is not something Patrick Beverley would bet against as he explains his desire to play with James in Minnesota.
Patrick Beverley “would love” having LeBron James in Minnesota
The Timberwolves guard explained:
“[LeBron] might pop up a whole new team or something. … I would love him with Minnesota.”
Patrick Beverley continued:
“We’re a young group of guys, we got a little experience, we got a lot of toughness, we got a lot of athleticism, he can help mentor Anthony Edwards.”
LeBron James’ leadership and mentoring abilities would probably help in Minnesota. The team would arguably be a good fit for James, as he is aging.
The Timberwolves have younger players who can keep up with the opposition that bested the Lakers’ stamina this season while LeBron James can help them grow. The squad would arguably benefit greatly, as would James.
Phil Jackson recently joined Jeanie Buss as an advisor in her search for a head coach. At her side, he has reportedly advised to her to move James in favor of Russell Westbrook to keep Los Angeles’ wallet happy.
After averaging 30.3 points a game at 37-years-old, LeBron James has proved that his age has yet to slow him down. Though the Lakers could not translate his points to wins, James stood at the top of the league for points-per-game in his 19th season.
Deploying that level of IQ and scoring ability on a young team like Minnesota would help the younger guys grow while giving LeBron the sense of coaching that he likes so much.
Helping players grow and making large in-game decisions is what James thrives on, not head office influences like what happened this preseason for the Lakers.
Anthony Edwards, the 20-year-old shooting guard for Minnesota, has gotten off to a great start to his young career. In the two years he has played in the league, he has averaged 20.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game.
With a game as already as vicious as his, LeBron James by his side would be a recipe for immediate success.
The veteran squad alongside James proved ineffective this season after they couldn't match the speed and stamina of the youth in the league. The Minnesota Timberwolves ended up almost besting the Memphis Grizzlies in a six-game series in this year's playoffs.
Add James’ 30.3 points-per-game alongside Anthony Edwards, Beverley, and Karl-Anthony Towns and Minnesota arguably could have gone further this postseason.
After the veteran mix proved a disappointment, shifting to a younger squad may be LeBron’s best decision if he hopes to win another championship.
The Lakers looked an absolute mess the entire season, and, with James aging and Anthony Davis’ injury status constantly in question, LeBron may not have the time to waste on waiting for Los Angeles to figure things out.
In any case, as most of the cast pointed out, LeBron is still LeBron. Anything can happen with him on your team, no matter the squad.
Throwing James onto a younger, healthier squad would probably increase his chances at a finals run, but him staying on the Lakers does not entirely remove the possibility. LeBron James is “The King” for a reason.