LA Lakers acquiring the popular point guard Patrick Beverley from Utah Jazz has been the talk of the town for the 22-23 trade window. Apparently, the Los Angeles Lakers\’ most significant deal this summer seems to be for Beverley. Even the point guard acknowledged he wasn\’t planning on being moved to Los Angeles. However, now that he is here, his duty will be to assist in returning the squad to the postseason. And now we have some brand new information concerning Patrick\’s place on the Lakers\’ roster.
Where Will Patrick Beverley Play For Lakers?
Patrick Beverley is widely known in the league for his defensive prowess. And it appears that Los Angeles intends to deploy him as their main defender against players of that kind, given the dearth of wings on the squad. In-house, the team views Beverley as a 3-and-D wing and not a point guard at this juncture in his career; sources told NBA reporter Marc Stein. So as of September 18, Russell Westbrook and Dennis Schröder are the point guards for the Lakers. As reported, players like Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, Austin Reaves, and Lonnie Walker IV will take the field as 2s and 3s.
LeBron James would handle most of the playmaking responsibilities even if Westbrook is ultimately dealt. So, Patrick Beverley wouldn\’t be playing much as an on-ball playmaker. However, he is definitely a good fit for that. The 34-year-old is a tenacious perimeter guard who has a career 3-point percentage of 37.8 percent. This makes him an excellent 3-and-D option. While playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, he averaged 4.6 assists per game, although he hasn\’t always been a strong facilitator.
The Lakers and their coach Darvin Ham could regularly employ a small ball strategy. There is a possibility that Schröder, Westbrook, and Beverley will share the court. The Lakers will typically use small lineups that could have trouble defending against larger teams. Being a wing guardian is nothing beyond Beverley. But forcing him to work on it full-time, though, sounds risky if he were ever to skip time.
Patrick Beverley has consistently been a nuisance throughout his career. Despite some concerns that he would be at a disadvantage as a wing defender against bigger players at the position. Meanwhile, trade whispers will continue throughout the season until Russell Westbrook can demonstrate that he can complement James and Anthony Davis. That seems improbable, given that Westbrook is a ball-dominant point guard who struggles to make 3-pointers outside of the arc. This limits his team\’s floor space. Elsewhere, Beverley is a short guard. But his tough demeanor and defensive ferocity may mask the lack of stature he has in order to handle the opposition wings.