Patrick Beverley has developed a reputation as one of the best defensive guards in the league, and he is known for consistently annoying the opposing ballhandlers and getting underneath their skin. His defensive intensity generally never wanes, and he is active every moment that he gets on the court.
It seems as though Patrick Beverley has recently imparted some of his defensive wisdom to his Minnesota Timberwolves teammates. Minnesota forward Nate Knight has recently revealed an analogy that Beverley used for defense vs. offense. Beverley compared defense to one’s mother and offense to one’s girlfriend. Beverley claimed that offense is going to be there sometimes, like one’s girlfriend, but will be missing at other times. However, defense like one’s mother will always be present, and is “something you can control”.
Nate Knight relayed this analogy Pat Beverley told the team recently:
"Defense is kind of like your mom. Offense is like your girlfriend. One day she’s there. One day she’s not. Offense is going to be hit or miss, but defense is something you can control. It’s all heart, mind."
— Chris Hine (@ChristopherHine) December 31, 2021
“Defense is kind of like your mom. Offense is like your girlfriend. One day she’s there. One day she’s not. Offense is going to be hit or miss, but defense is something you can control. It’s all heart, mind.”
There is no doubt that defense is something that one can control as Beverley says. Defense requires effort and knowledge of the scheme, and those are obviously things that one can control on a day-to-day basis. As for the offense, every single player in the NBA goes through shooting slumps, so that isn’t something one has control over.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have the 11th ranked defense this season, and it’s clear that Patrick Beverley’s addition has helped them massively improve on that end of the floor. Stars like Devin Booker have praised Beverley’s defense before, so it’s obvious that he is respected by his peers and knows the ins and outs of playing good defense. His leadership on that end has been valuable for the Timberwolves.
The Timberwolves’ current record is 16-18, and perhaps they could improve as the season goes on. They have a fair amount of talent, and perhaps we’ll see them avoid the play-in tournament and make the playoffs outright in the future.
