The biggest moves of the Los Angeles Lakers offseason thus far have been adding point guards Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schroder to the roster. Learning from their mistakes last season, the Lakers couldn’t have put together more polar opposite offseasons. After signing aging veterans to attempt to boost the offense last season the Lakers were left searching for defensive answers.
Making matters worse was the fact that not only could the veterans not play defense but the offense they were expected to bring didn’t deliver. Learning from this, the Lakers added two point guards who consistently show heart on defense.
Dennis isn’t an elite defender but he is a clear upgrade over what the Lakers had at point guard last season. Beverley is an entirely different story as a guard who has made his career as a defensive irritant by getting in opponents’ heads and forcing turnovers.
Beverley is going to bring a lot to this Lakers team that they were sorely lacking last season. His presence is already a small step in the right direction for a team that has gone from champions to missing the playoffs in less than two years.
It is time for the Lakers to remind the league just how great LeBron James and Anthony Davis can be and an underrated part of that will be the intangibles that Beverley brings to this team.
1. Patrick Beverley isn’t going to be shy about calling out the Lakers stars
If his opening press conference and entire career are any indications, Patrick isn’t fazed by putting on a Laker uniform and playing with LeBron. Let’s be clear, LeBron is an all-time great teammate and leader who has led three different teams to championships.
However, he isn’t infallible and at times has needed a veteran teammate willing to speak up, whether it is demanding LeBron to be more aggressive or pushing him to play tighter defense; it never hurts to have a veteran who isn’t afraid of the living legend that is James.
Beverley isn’t going to be afraid of anyone inside the locker room or on the court. He has made his career by being outspoken and pushing his teammates and irritating his opponents. His value isn’t going to always be in the stat sheet but in how he pushes his teammates and is willing to ask LeBron or Anthony Davis to change their play style or effort.
This isn’t to say Beverley is always going to be correct or that it will always be appreciated but that he is a presence the Lakers badly needed. When this team won the title they had a great mix of defense and veteran leadership. Beverley will bring a bit of both.
2. Patrick Beverley will energize a team that was often lifeless last season
When LeBron James wasn’t on the floor last season (or at times even when he was), this team was hard to watch. They didn’t seem to be enjoying the game or playing with any discernable energy down the stretch last season. It was a dull and boring Lakers team lacking any excitement or players that energized the team aside from LeBron.
Patrick might not be a top offensive weapon, however, he is absolutely a defensive energizer that his teammates feed off of. Watching him play on-ball defense and talk to his opponents is going to feed this Lakers team and demand they step up with energy defensively.
As any announcer is quick to point out, great defense starts any offense and that will be the case for the Lakers this season. Even if Beverley is rarely scoring he will bring huge value to this team in the defensive energy that he brings and the demands of his teammates.
Beverley is a player who fights every play regardless of the score. It is how he fought his way onto NBA rosters and what makes him a perfect fit for a Lakers team badly in need of both defense and an energy boost.
3. Patrick Beverley will help the Lakers spread the floor
The one thing that Beverley brings to this team offensively that will help change life for the Lakers is his ability to shoot the ball deep. Last season the Lakers lacked one deep threat off the bench that demanded fear.
Opposing defenses simply needed to pack the paint and make sure someone was close to LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony if either were on the floor, otherwise, there was no reason to fear the Lakers from deep.
Beverley isn’t going to completely change this, obviously, but he is a reliable three-point shooter and combined with the rest of the Lakers’ offseason moves, will help fix this problem.
He is a career 37.8% shooter from deep and is more than capable of getting hot for a short period of time. The Lakers will have the ability to put Anthony Davis at center and run a lineup that demands far more attention outside than the Lakers demanded at any point last season.
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Beverley is an underrated move for a Lakers team that badly needs his energy and ability to help change a culture that no longer resembles the 2020 championship season.