The Los Angeles Lakers are nothing short of an enigma at the moment. A large chunk of the offseason was spent in trade rumors, with Kyrie Irving seemingly being the main target for the franchise. When it seemed like that wasn’t quite panning out, there were rumors that Russell Westbrook could be shipped out to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. When they did swing a trade in the end, it was one that not many expected, acquiring Patrick Beverley from the Utah Jazz.
However, success is ever the expectation in Los Angeles. Nothing short of the best will suffice for fans of the Purple and Gold, and as such, next season has to be a success for the team. And any doubts about Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook being able to co-exist have so far been squashed as the two have seemed amicable since Beverley joined the Lakers.
Whatever else he may be, Patrick Beverley is someone that will do everything he can to ensure his team’s success. Fans of other teams might find him annoying, but his confidence in himself and his team never seems to waver. And true to form, Beverley has made some interesting claims about what the Lakers are aiming to do next season.
Patrick Beverley Has Described The Lakers Roster And Their Stars Including Himself As A Matchup Problem For Any NBA Team
Beverley recently had his first run of media duties for the Lakers, a momentous event because it saw him and Russell Westbrook share a brief hug that went viral. And he spoke about his new team’s goals and strengths to ESPN with optimism that not many have shared about the Lakers lately.
“I shoot a ton out of the right-corner wing,” Beverley explained. He (Westbrook) posts on the left wing out of [timeouts], he likes to post on the right wing. I shoot 50% from the left corner 3. It works. To have another ball handler out there with me, obviously with LeBron also, the more ball handlers the better you are as a team.
“Who doesn’t?” Beverley said when asked if he is looking forward to playing with James. “You’re talking about GOAT status, not only him, you’re talking about GOAT status all the way across.
“We’re a matchup problem, 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 missed the play-in tournament last season and while they have reshuffled a fair bit, Beverley is the only major addition to the roster. Whether that will be enough to get them back to winning ways remains to be seen, but it seems, at least, Bev believes it will happen. It’s an odd time to be a Lakers fan, but perhaps also exciting thanks to its unpredictability.
