Los Angeles Lakers: No Patrick Beverley antics in the Conference Finals!
By Ronald Agers
The Los Angeles Lakers don’t have to deal with Patrick Beverley.
The Los Angeles Lakers were supposed to be taking on their cross the hall rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers, in the Western Conference Finals on Friday. What got lost was the greatest collapse (Also read: CHOKE JOB!) in NBA history. Lake Show Life shines the light on one player that has conveniently been left out of the blame game! Patrick Beverley!
Anybody got over the shock and disappointment yet? Wasn’t the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George supposed to set up the biggest showdown this year since the Super Bowl? Best believe that there were a lot of NBA and TV executives that were looking at a great marketing promotion go down the drain.
- This was supposed to be Ali vs. Frazier in the “Thrilla in Manila”!
- Marvin Hagler vs. Tommy “Hitman” Hearns.
- The Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl matchup in the 70’s for team of the decade!
- Bill Russell vs. Wilt Chamberlain…anytime the two set foot on the floor!
The year 2020 reminded the NBA world that nothing is given as the series we have been waiting all season (A season that was extended 4 months!) evaporated. The Don King-style media hype of matching the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference Finals feels like a hoax.
On paper, the Clippers are arguably the most talented team in the NBA from top to bottom, but that didn’t stop the Nuggets From ousting the Clippers with a 104-89 win Tuesday night.
Now everybody is trying to find who to blame.
Is it Doc Rivers?
One of the most respected coaches in the NBA. But that doesn’t change the fact that he is now the only coach that has blown three 3-1 series leads in the postseason. The one in Orlando was overlooked (Until now!), but the two as a Clippers coach are the top two avalanches in NBA history. From 2015, when Josh Smith started a 40-15 run in Game 5 to three blown double-figure leads, this year has his job in jeopardy.
Is it Paul George?
He is believed to be the only reason that Kawhi Leonard is not in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform. Kawhi specifically told the Clippers organization to get him on the roster for him to sign. The Clippers basically mortgaged their future (No first-round picks until 2027!) with young players and draft picks to land him. Then the quote that will follow him all winter long.
https://twitter.com/ESPNLosAngeles/status/1306278153883533314
Is it bad chemistry attached to Paul George?
Just let Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports tell it!
"Early in the second quarter, a struggling George had committed two careless turnovers in less than a minute. The second mishap was a half-court pass to Harrell, who was near the paint but surrounded by Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Murray picked off the pass. Seconds later, the Clippers called a timeout. Harrell approached his teammate about the risky pass, with George not taking responsibility and arguing the pass could have been caught had Harrell made the right play, sources said. This set off the NBA Sixth Man of the Year. Harrell responded with something along the lines of, “You’re always right. Nobody can tell you nothing,” and expletives were uttered from both players, sources said. George eventually toned down his rhetoric, but a heated Harrell wasn’t having it. Teammates began clapping on the sideline, in part to disguise what was going on and in an attempt to defuse the situation. The incident deescalated shortly after as coach Doc Rivers took his seat to go over the game plan."
Is it Kawhi Leonard?
Well Stephen A. Smith was waiting for Max Kellerman on Monday. See Max Kellerman was the guy that stated on the record (Why on camera we’ll never know!) that Kawhi Leonard was a more clutch player than the late great Kobe Bryant. If you want to see the video, please enjoy. But Kellerman did not back up his claims enough and he got some Stephen A. business cards.
"“Kawhi Leonard. That might be the biggest choke job we’ve ever seen in the NBA,” Smith continued. “I mean, it was that bad! We’re talking about a two-time NBA [Finals] MVP. We’re talking about a two-time champion who Max Kellerman has bloviated about being the best in the world and what happened?”"
Kawhi Leonard will have to eat this one and the plate is full. Star players have to shine in decisive moments hence the hype and huge paycheck. However, Leonard planted a stink bomb to Disney World, scoring only 14 points on 6-of-22 shooting (including 2-of-7 on three-point attempts), 1-11 in the second half and finally scored no points in the fourth quarter.
All three of these individuals deserve the criticism of the sports media and ridicule of social media. Big things were expected of the Clippers after acquiring George and Leonard in free agency. Through most of the 2019-20 season, including the restart in the Orlando bubble, the Clippers were viewed as a favorite to win the NBA title.
But one player has strangely been absent from the blame game. A player that has been the exact opposite of the main participants. He was very boisterous of the supposed matchup of the L.A. teams.
Patrick Beverley!
Lake Show Life tends to depend on the eye test and push analytics back. But the one thing the staff looks at (Especially the writer!) is the trash talkers. If a player runs his mouth, we get interested. Ask LeBron, he was the first one on the Lake Show Life radar about his “Revenge Season”!
Patrick Beverley has done very little to help the Clippers since the season restarted. Other than running his mouth on the sidelines and posting comments on social media, what in the world has he done? By the way, Jamal Murray scored 40 points in the deciding game. Defense is not on the list of accomplishments.
Lake Show Life goes in-depth on Patrick Beverley and how his ridiculous quote about guarding LeBron James back in March started a chain of events that has contributed to the extreme backlash his team is facing these days.
Let’s go back the Christmas Night matchup!