It's been a wild year for the Los Angeles Lakers. They went from NBA title contenders to not even making the play-in tournament, so it became clear as day that their roster needed a major overhaul.
Rob Pelinka was only able to do so much, given their salary cap situation. But their latest move could be the most impactful yet, as Patrick Beverley will give them a much-needed backcourt stopper and some three-point shooting.
Needless to say, the story of the day was whether he'd bury the hatche with lifelong nemesis Russell Westbrook. And judging by what we've seen so far, it seems like he's more than willing to leave all that behind.
NBA News: Pat Beverley Says He Never Played With Someone Like Russell Westbrook
(via Los Angeles Times)
"When asked specifically about playing with Westbrook, Beverley said, 'It works to have another ballhandler out there with me. … I haven’t had an explosive guard like Russ to play with defensively and offensively.'
'A player with that competitive spirit, that fire, that will, that dog, that nastiness, that grit, to have a running mate like that, I have never had that,' Beverley said. 'So I am super excited to see where it goes. Obviously like any relationship or any marriage, things, we are going to have tough conversations. That is what comes with winning but I am excited about those conversations, I am excited about the practices. I am just excited to be able to compete with someone like that.'”
Bev Wants To Help The Lakers' Chemistry
Patrick Beverley also wants to help the Lakers be close as a team. He believes that the camaraderie and rapport and being able to hold each other accountable can take any team to great lengths:
“I changed the culture of all three of them,” Beverley said. “But I am not here to change the culture. I am trying to implement what I feel like has worked over the past years and that is the more closer you are, the more you are a team, the more [time] you spend together, the better you’ll be as a team."
At the end of the day, the Lakers will always be obliged to compete at the highest level, regardless of who's wearing the purple and gold. So, maybe Pat Bev will finally give them the type of leadership they need to fulfill their potential.
