Patrick Beverley thinks the pandemic squashed the LA Clippers' chances - "We think we would've won a championship if it wasn't for the bubble"

Patrick Beverley and the 2019-20 LA Clippers collapsed in the Western Conference semifinals, losing the final three games of the series after taking a 3-1 lead. The Chicago Bulls guard believes that if it wasn't for the bubble, the team would have won the NBA championship. Speaking to Joey Linn of Fan Nation, Beverley claimed:

"We were fortunate to get Kawhi. We think we would've won a championship if it wasn't for the bubble. But to come back and get to a Conference finals with a hurt Kawhi - We've done a lot of good things here."

“We think we would've won a championship if it wasn't for the bubble.”

- Pat Bev on the Clippers

(Via @joeylinn_ ) twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/O6d3HmHdsA

Fans were quick to point out that Beverley's tune has changed over the years. Prior to the bubble kicking off, then-LA Lakers forward Jared Dudley took to Twitter to voice his concerns about player safety, stating:

"Not enough talk about soft tissue injuries with basically 2 weeks of full court 5-5 to prepare of 3 month potential season.."

Patrick Beverley responded to Dudley's comments, claiming basketball is a year-round sport:

"Again basketball is a year-round sport. We don’t wanna hear that sh*t. Check 🏀"

Check out the tweets from Patrick Beverley and Jared Dudley below:

Not enough talk about soft tissue injuries with basically 2 weeks of full court 5-5 to prepare of 3 month potential season.. twitter.com/wojespn/status…

Again basketball is a year-round sport. We don’t wanna hear that sh*t. Check 🏀 twitter.com/JaredDudley619…

While Beverley and the Clippers went on to blow a 3-1 series lead, Dudley's Lakers went on to win the championship. Although it is easy for Beverley to change his tune following the Clippers' exit from the postseason, he was one of the biggest advocates for the bubble. Beverley infamously mocked superstar Damian Lillard following a Clippers bubble victory:

LMFAOOOO

Patrick Beverley, Paul George, and Damian Lillard going at it😂😂 https://t.co/4c6QhgteNe

How has Patrick Beverley performed this season?

Patrick Beverley is averaging 6.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.9 apg, 0.9 spg and 0.6 bpg. The Chicago Bulls guard is currently shooting 40.3% from the field, 34.6% from 3-point range and 72.3% from the free-throw line. While his numbers aren't very noteworthy, Beverley has been worth 2.7 win shares, most of which come from the defensive side of the ball.

Impressively, through 16 games with the Bulls, he is already halfway to his total win shares in 45 games as a member of the LA Lakers. Beverley was sent to the Orlando Magic for Mo Bamba at the trade deadline and subsequently bought out.

The three-time All-Defensive Team selection is set to hit unrestricted free agency following the season. While he is unlikely to receive $13 million as he did in 2022-2023, Beverley should have options available. At 34 years old, he could opt to ring chase and bring defensive intensity to a contender. He could also search for one last payday if a team is willing to commit to giving him a long-term leadership role.