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LA Clippers: What every player needs to do in the playoffs

By Garrett Chorpenning

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 10: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the LA Clippers looks on during the game against the Utah Jazz on April 10, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 10: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the LA Clippers looks on during the game against the Utah Jazz on April 10, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 19: Patrick Beverley #21 of the LA Clippers reacts after hitting shot against the Indiana Pacers on March 19, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 19: Patrick Beverley #21 of the LA Clippers reacts after hitting shot against the Indiana Pacers on March 19, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Patrick Beverley: Set the tone

Every team in the NBA would benefit from having a guy like Patrick Beverley on their roster and in their locker room. Fortunately for the LA Clippers, there’s only one of him.

Beverley is a tone-setter. That much is clear from his play, but it’s become especially clear lately when he hasn’t been active. The Clippers lost all four games that Beverley didn’t appear in this season by a combined margin of 74 points.

Further, the Clippers were 35-14 this season when Beverley was a starter, and 13-16 when he came off the bench.

Of course, there are other factors that go into that — a few of those starting losses came at the beginning of the season, when he was out there with Avery Bradley and Marcin Gortat in one of the worst starting lineups the Clippers used all season.

Ever since he returned to the starting lineup in late January, Beverley has played some of the best basketball of his career. In 33 games, he’s averaged 9.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc — all of which are higher than his career averages.

When it comes to Beverley, though, no profile is complete without talking about his defense, which again has been worthy of All-Defensive First Team honors. All season long he’s been locking up opposing point guards and taking on other teams’ best players, including LeBron James and Paul George.

Beverley won’t be able to completely stop players like Stephen Curry come playoff time, but his pesky defense should at least make him — and others — think twice about challenging him.

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