The Lakers finally made a trade in the offseason, trading away their young guard Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson to acquire veteran guard Patrick Beverley. While fans were expecting the team to pull off a trade for Russell Westbrook, this trade for Beverley was unexpected.
Given that PB played for the LA Clippers two seasons ago, Beverley certainly isn’t in the best books of many Laker fans. But this trade seems like a necessary one, as the Lakers are in dire need of some perimeter defense. While Beverley might not be the most electrifying scorer off the bench, he is a tenacious defender who often challenges the league’s best guards.
Before his trade to the Lakers, Beverley made an appearance on the show Stephen A’s World a couple of months ago. There, the guard claimed that he could have helped the Lakers to make it to the playoffs and help them reach the Western Conference Finals. (7:37 onwards):
“If I was a free agent and I play for the Lakers going to the playoffs, going to West Conference Finals… Who’s the leader? They had success in 2020 because there was a leader there.”
“Who’s telling LeBron you got to be low, man… No one’s telling them that not on a consistent basis… I want to win because it’s not about me scoring 20. It’s not about me having 15 dimes. I want to win, I want to beat everyone I play.”
While it is unsure how Beverley would have left his mark with the Lakers last season, the guard has now finally signed a deal with the team and will be confident to compete for championships.
Given how star-studded the roster is, expecting a comeback from the Lakers and Co. is not far-fetched. Can Beverley help the Lakers return to their previous glory?
