Next up in our player preview series, we examine the potential 2021 season of Clippers starting point guard Patrick Beverley.

Basic Information

Height: 6’1

Weight: 185 pounds

Position: Point Guard

Age: 32

Years in NBA: 8

Key Stats: 7.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals in 26.3 minutes per game across 51 games played on 43.1/38.8/66 shooting splits.

Playoff Stats: 6.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.0 steals in 20.8 minutes per game across 8 games played on 51.3/36.4/50 shooting splits.

Contract Status: In the second year of a 3 year, $40M contract, earning $13.33M this season.

Expectations

Beverley is, along with Lou Williams, the most tenured player on the Clippers roster, as both veteran guards are going into their 4^th seasons on the team. Outside of a brief stretch in the 2019 season when Beverley was playing off the bench behind Avery Bradley (gross) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (our sweet prince forever), Beverley has operated as the Clippers’ starting point guard, a role he’s prepared to reprise this season.

Beverley is expected to provide his usual suite of services – leadership, tough perimeter defense, rebounding, outside shooting, and a helping of attitude. With multiple guards who can (theoretically) fill in for him in Luke Kennard, Lou Williams, Reggie Jackson, and even Terance Mann, the Clippers will probably try to keep his minutes around the 25-27 mark, as they have the past couple years. However, Beverley will start, and he will probably close most games as well, making him one of the most important players on the roster.

Strengths

Pat has earned three All-Defense teams in the past seven years, including a second-team selection last season, making him one of the more well-decorated perimeter defenders of the 2010s decade. He’s a tenacious, clever defender who puts pressure on the ball but also makes smart rotations and does less glorious stuff as a help player. While undersized, his toughness and strength enables him to defend much larger players with at least some aptitude, giving him added value in a switch-heavy NBA. There are better point guard defenders in the NBA (Marcus Smart, Kris Dunn, and Eric Bledsoe, with Kyle Lowry and Chris Paul up there as well), but not many. Part of that defense is simply exceptional rebounding – Pat’s rebounding numbers would be solid for a 6’6 wing, much less a 6’1 aging point guard.

However, the most underrated element of Beverley’s game is on the offensive end. While he’s received recognition as a defender, his complementary and quiet offensive game has earned him few plaudits. In particular, Beverley is a legitimately excellent three-point shooter, averaging 38.1% across his career on decent volume. Mostly a spot-up shooter, Beverley is at least somewhat of a threat off the bounce as well, and is capable of hitting shots from all around the arc. Next to scoring stars such as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Beverley’s off-ball shooting is made even more potent.

Shooting is not Beverley’s only offensive strength. While not a particularly adroit playmaker, Beverley is more than capable of running simple offensive plays and getting a team into sets. He’s also a very secure ballhandler, with a consistently low turnover rate. Not giving the ball away is a huge component to generating a good offense, and while Beverley might not create much from others, he also doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. That has plenty of value.

Finally, Pat Beverley brings a fiery personality and attitude. That can get him into trouble at times, but it also made him a key leader on the highly entertaining, never-say-die 2019 Clippers squad that earned the lasting love of Clippers fans. That same attitude seemed to fail at times in 2020, but it was an unusual season, and Beverley will presumably bring his trademark personality for this critical 2021 campaign.

Weaknesses

As mentioned above, Beverley is a below-average playmaker, passer, and shot creator for an NBA starting point guard. His handle is more functional than deadly, and while he has some quickness, his lack of burst and explosion means he is rarely able to drive to the basket without the aid of a pick. This lack of downhill driving means he doesn’t really create open shots for other players very much, especially in the halfcourt, instead operating better as a secondary or tertiary playmaker. Additionally, his lack of individual scoring means opposing teams can place weaker defenders on him and help off, knowing he’s not super likely to burn them.

While not quite a weakness, it also must be said that Beverley is overrated somewhat defensively. He’s quite good, but probably wasn’t All-Defense last year. And, while he can switch onto bigger players, it’s something that the Clippers do too frequently. His hyperactivity and aggressiveness also result in high foul counts far too often, which is another limit on his playing time. If Beverley isn’t playing, he’s not bringing his positive attributes to the team – and is getting the team into the penalty.

The last of Pat’s weaknesses is the most unfortunate – his propensity to get injured. In eight years in the NBA, Pat has cracked the 70 game line just twice, and finished below 60 in five seasons. He’s just always banged up, and his likelihood of injury is not going to decline as he enters his mid-30s. Perhaps the most underdiscussed reason for the Clippers’ disappointing playoffs is that Beverley missed most of the bubble dealing with the death of a friend, then got injured and missed five of six games in the Mavs series. While he played in all seven games against the Nuggets, he clearly was not at 100%, and that hurt the Clippers a great deal. The Clippers know that Beverley is likely to get injured, and know that their play consistently takes a big hit when he’s out.

Summary

Pat Beverley might be the 3^rd most important player on the Clippers, behind the obvious Kawhi and George. The Clippers have a three-year track record of being a far worse team when Beverley is off the floor compared to on, and none of their signings this summer make that scenario any less likely this year. He’s one of the better rebounders, defenders, passers, and shooters on the team, and that array of skills make him a viable candidate to play in any game against any opponent. If the Clippers are to make a deep playoff run, they need Beverley healthy and playing at peak capacity. Anything less and another disappointing finish is much more probable.

Clippers 2020-2021 Season Preview: Patrick Beverley
Robert Flom

Earlier this evening, the NBA released their All-Defense Teams, and to no surprise, Clippers’ players Patrick Beverley and Kawhi Leonard made the Second Team. The First Team was composed of Marcus Smart and Ben Simmons at guard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis at forward, and Rudy Gobert at center. Joining Beverley and Leonard on the Second Team were Eric Bledsoe at guard, Bam Adebayo at forward, and Brook Lopez at center.

Beverley and Leonard were two key perimeter players for a Clippers’ team that ranked 5th in Defensive Rating in the regular season despite injuries and lack of cohesion. Beverley’s communication, fire, and hustle make him a constant irritant on the court, while Leonard can do things on defense that perhaps no other player (other than a fully locked in LeBron?) can (see yesterday’s one-finger block).

It’s tough to say either should have been 1st team – Beverley is smaller and less versatile than Smart or Simmons, and Leonard played much less and was generally less impactful than Giannis and Davis. Guys like Jrue Holiday and Kyle Lowry certainly had arguments over Beverley as well, but both Beverley and Kawhi were certainly worthy of their All Defense placements. Their contributions on defense in addition to their varying roles on offense have made them hugely valuable to the Clips as two-way players, and each will have big roles to play for the Clippers in the weeks to come.

Paul George also received three votes for the second team, but no other Clipper garnered any support. If George had played more games he probably would have had stronger consideration, but it would have been tough to place him this season.

Congratulations to Kawhi and Pat on the achievement! This is Pat’s 3rd All-Defense Team nomination (he made 2nd team in 2014 and 1st team in 2017) and Kawhi’s 6th (2nd team in 2014 and 2019, 1st from 2015-2017). They are two of the best perimeter defenders of the decade, and fully deserving of adding another accolade to their wall.

Kawhi Leonard and Pat Beverley Make Second Team All-Defense
Robert Flom

As always in bubble action, we are here to provide an injury report update on the Clippers and their opponent the day before the game, in this case the Denver Nuggets.

Clippers

Montrezl Harrell: Out (Self isolating)

Patrick Beverley: Out (Calf strain)

Landry Shamet: Out (Ankle sprain)

The Clippers remain far from complete, as two of their key players and another rotation player (I think Shamet has lost the “key” designation at this point) will sit out against the Nuggets. Trez, of course, is healthy, but is waiting until he’s cleared to play. All being well, he should pass the COVID-19 quarantine before Friday’s game against the Thunder, giving him a single regular season game to get back into some semblance of rhythm before the playoffs begin. Shamet’s injury isn’t particularly worrying either – he didn’t seem damaged after the game, and there probably would have been reports if the injury was more serious.

At this point, the bigger question is Beverley. The initial thought was that he would be kept out for a game or two to give him time to relax and recover, but he’s now been out over a week and has missed some crucial game time. He’s the most important of those three guys, and the Clippers need him right in the playoffs. Hopefully it’s all still precautionary, and he too can rejoin the Clippers in that Thunder game before the playoffs begin.

Nuggets

Will Barton: Out (Knee soreness)

Jerami Grant: Questionable (Knee soreness)

Gary Harris: Out (Hip strain)

Vlatko Cancar Out (Broken Foot)

The Nuggets have been dealing with plenty injuries of their own. Jamal Murray made a triumphant return in their win against the Jazz, but looked hobbled and out of gas by the end of that contest. He might have a minutes limit in this one, though he broke it very quickly in that Jazz game. However, the Nuggets are missing two starters, Will Barton and Gary Harris, and those are also two of their best (though still not very good) options on Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Barton is a do-everything kind of guy for them, an energetic scorer who can play some defense, and his absence has been tough on the Nugs. Harris’ scoring and shooting has fallen off a cliff this year, but he’s still a solid defender who offers some tertiary ballhandling and playmaking.

Additionally, Jerami Grant, who’s probably their actual best option on Kawhi Leonard due to his size and strength, is questionable. If he’s out as well, there’s really nobody on their roster who can even come close to guarding Kawhi or PG. For all that the Clippers might not have the chemistry or cohesion they’d like going into the playoffs, the Nuggets will be in similar straits, which is good news for the Clippers considering the Nuggets are either the 3rd or 4th best team in the conference.

Well, that should cover the injury report for this Clippers-Nuggets game. Stay tuned for further updates closer to tip-off, though all the Clippers’ injured guys seem definitively out. This should be a fun game between two likely playoff opponents, and will be a good opportunity to see where each team stands.

Clippers-Nuggets Injury Report: Pat, Trez, and Shamet Are Out
Robert Flom

Just as soon as a player returns, another goes down. While Lou Williams returned for the Clippers today, Pat Beverley is questionable to return for the Clippers with an injury designated as calf soreness after playing just eight minutes in the first quarter. He has not returned since, and doesn’t appear to be warming up, so he will probably miss the rest of this one.

However, he didn’t warm up at halftime, and doesn’t appear closing to checking in, so it’s safe to say he will be out for the rest of the game. Fortunately, “calf soreness” seems very mild, and the fact that he’s even questionable to return means that the injury is probably not serious.

Hopefully that’s the case, because Pat Beverley is an absolutely crucial piece to this Clippers roster. They have had a singularly poor record in games without Beverley over the past couple years, and it’s because his defense, shooting, and energy is irreplaceable. He’s a leader on this team, and is respected by everyone on the squad, from the superstars to the rookies. Any absence by him will cost the Clippers dearly.

Pat Beverley might be questionable with an injury, but the Clippers are still playing, so go over and check out the game on NBA TV or Fox Sports Prime Ticket if you haven’t already!

Pat Beverley Questionable to Return Against Suns with Calf Injury
Robert Flom

In somewhat surprising news, Doc Rivers announced in the Clippers pregame press conference that Pat Beverley will play tonight against the Lakers. Now, he was ruled as questionable in the pre-game injury report, but he didn’t shoot around with the team this morning and has been out of Orlando for a couple weeks, so he presumably won’t have a ton of rhythm with the rest of the team. Prime Ticket has noted that Pat won’t start, which makes sense – the bench unit will already be disrupted without Lou and Trez, while the starting lineup has at least gained some steam during the scrimmages.

Doc did say that he’s not sure how many minutes Pat will play, so it’s quite possible we see him for a very limited stretch tonight as he plays his way back into game shape and into chemistry with the rest of the squad. However, even a little bit of Pat Beverley can go a long way, and his defense, energy, and shooting will be welcome boosts for the Clippers in a tough game against the Lakers.

What this means for the rest of the team depends on how much Pat will play. If Doc is comfortable giving him even 15 minutes, Terance Mann will probably be out of the rotation, and Amir Coffey and Rodney McGruder will see their minutes squeezed as well. While all those guys have looked effective at times, Pat Beverley is certainly a step up, and the more minutes that go to him rather than 3rd stringers, the better. One of Coffey and McGruder will probably still get minutes, though, and it will be interesting to see which one Doc turns too now that the games matter.

Having Pat Beverley play against the Lakers is a big deal, too, because of the fight that he always brings to this matchup. His defense on LeBron might be somewhat more entertaining than it is effective (though it’s had its highlights), but his ability to get his teammates energized is second to none (though Montrezl Harrell is close), and that will be hugely important in the bubble without fans and crowd noise. Welcome back, Pat!

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Patrick Beverley to Play Against Lakers
Robert Flom

Per Malika Andrews of ESPN, Pat Beverley left Orlando tonight due to an undisclosed family emergency. He will be gone for however long his family emergency needs him, with no projected return date.

First of all, our thoughts and best wishes are with Pat and his family at this time. No matter how this effects the Clippers, Pat’s family is obviously more important, so we won’t speculate on what’s going on with him, or when he might come back. He will take the time he needs, and when he’s ready to rejoin the team, he will. The Clippers will miss Beverley’s defense, his leadership, and his three-point shooting while he’s gone, and the team is certainly not complete with him absent.

In the meantime, the Clippers will go on without Pat (though it’s fortunate that Marcus Morris just arrived). Reggie Jackson will presumably step up to the starting point guard role, which should give Doc Rivers and the Clippers an extended look at what the veteran can handle in a bigger role. Hopefully they won’t have to rely on Jackson like that in the playoffs, but it will be useful to know if he can fill that role if needed.

Behind Jackson, the Clippers’ depth at point guard is not super great. Lou Williams can handle the position in a pinch of course, and his minutes will probably increase accordingly. Moving Lou over more towards the point will free up wing minutes, which could actually result in Rodney McGruder or Amir Coffey getting more run than otherwise expected as well. If the Clippers don’t want to play Lou too much at point, rookie Terance Mann might get a chance to play point guard too.

Pat Beverley left Orlando tonight and won’t return until his family emergency situation is taken care of. We will continue to provide updates on the situation as it develops, but in the meantime, we will continue to send our thoughts towards Pat and his family to get through the emergency they’re presently dealing with.

LA Clippers News: Pat Beverley Left Orlando Due to Family Emergency
Robert Flom