Patrick Beverley: A-
When Patrick Beverley was on the floor this season, the Clippers were a different kind of beast. You don’t need numbers to prove that. His opponents couldn’t score on him, and the offense played with contagious energy. With Beverley at the helm, the Clippers were a workhorse, and the fans were into it.
So when he went down in November with a knee injury that required surgery, that vibe immediately changed. And it stayed that way for a while. It’s no surprise, then, that the team endured their longest losing streak of the season as soon as he got hurt.
The surgery kept him from competing for the remainder of the year, but what’s so special about Beverley is that it didn’t stop him from being active during games.
From the bench, dressed casually, Beverley orchestrated his team as well as anyone could without physically playing. He kept the team fighting.
In addition, he averaged a career-high 12.2 points per game and shot exactly 40% from deep. Had he remained healthy, he’d be a shoo-in for the NBA’s First All-Defensive Team.
We can’t wait to see what he brings next season.