The Minnesota Timberwolves last season performed significantly better than the 2020-21 NBA season. While their superstars like Karl Anthony-Towns and Anthony Edwards did step up, the Timberwolves surprisingly had a decent defensive performance.
It was down to their excellent crop of role players. Perhaps the most notable role player among them was Patrick Beverley. Ever since he made his debut in the league, Beverley has established himself as a hard-nosed defender. First making his name with the Rockets, the guard is most well known for his time with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Becoming a key piece for the Clippers, Beverley was the go-to defender for the team when it came to defending guards. Although he might lack size against some guards, he makes it up with his incredible tenacity. Last season, Beverley proved why he was one of the top backup guards in the league.
With his defense and leadership on the court, the 34-year-old became a key piece of the Wolves’ defense. After Minnesota pulled off a trade for Rudy Gobert, the guard now finds himself with the Utah Jazz with his future seemingly undecided.
While his future with Utah remains doubtful, Beverley is busy putting in the work. Recently, Beverley was spotted putting in the drills in Rico Hines’ gym. There, the 3-time All-Defensive guard had a word of advice for up-and-coming role players in the NBA.
Pat Bev with a great message to role players 🔥✊
(Via @ricohinesbball | h/t @JamCristopher) pic.twitter.com/h4zW8oJGE2
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 16, 2022
“Everybody here ain’t Paul George, everybody here ain’t Siakam. The teams y’all gonna go to you ain’t gonna have the ball like this… You gotta cut; you gotta do something; you gotta be active.”
“Find your role, find your niche, find it… Everybody won’t be able to shoot hesi-pulls. That’s just the reality of the situation. Find your niche and stay with it. Keep building off of it, but find it first.”
Beverley certainly has found a niche for himself, and that is as a lockdown defensive guard. Not only that, but the guard is also capable of knocking down the three-pointer on a regular clip. Given how many contenders are desperate to add defensive depth and shooting to their roster, a trade for Beverley might be inevitable. Which team do you want to see Beverley play in?
