The Los Angeles Lakers added some much needed three-point shooting and defensive bite when they pulled off a deal to acquire Patrick Beverley from the Utah Jazz. Beverley played an important role in helping the Minnesota Timberwolves make the postseason through the play-in tournament last year, and even though he has not always seen eye-to-eye with Russell Westbrook in the past, he seems ready to let bygones be bygones and focus on contributing to the Lakers.
Of course, L.A. can use Beverley’s help in making it to the playoffs — the team missed out on the play-in tournament altogether due to an old and disjointed roster mixing with some absolutely horribly timed injuries. This was top of mind for Beverley when he was asked about teaming up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on Tuesday after he was formally introduced as a Laker.
Reporter: “You’ll be playing with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.”
Patrick Beverley: “They’re gonna be playing with me. I made the playoffs last year, they didn’t. It’s a difference.”
(via @SpectrumSN)pic.twitter.com/tDuSYUfXJK
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) September 6, 2022
“They’re gonna be playing with me,” Beverley said. “I made the playoffs last year, they didn’t. It’s a difference.”
Beverley then changed up his approach when asked about whether or not he has spoken to those two, saying that “I’m glad that we get to play with each other than anything else, I’m excited to see it go on.” As long as the Lakers make the playoffs, our hunch is James, Davis, and everyone else will likewise be excited to see it go on.