The LA Clippers need Patrick Beverley to be healthy and on the floor.
We have to face it. The LA Clippers look like they have a lot of problems in this first round series versus the Dallas Mavericks. Doc Rivers and Paul George deservedly are getting most of the blame. While there are a plethora of issues, I honestly believe Patrick Beverley solves a few of them.
Let’s start with what Doc Rivers sees. We are going to ignore Doc’s poor rotation decisions and will just focus on the problem he sees: emotion.
If there is one thing Patrick Beverley brings, it’s emotion. He is obviously the emotional leader when on the court and while Kawhi Leonard is the best player and the team follows him, he obviously does not bring that same level of passion to the court that Bev does.
There have been moments in this series when the team has looked shocked at just how well the Mavs are playing. I wholeheartedly believe Bev would pick the team up and keep them focused.
On the basketball side, the benefits of having him back are obvious. We saw just how good the Clippers’ starting five looked in game one when Bev was out there. Had he been able to continue to play with no minutes restriction in the following games, Luka Doncic and company may have not torched us to the same extent.
At the very least, Bev being able to play would mean a reduction in Reggie Jackson’s minutes. Jackson has played a good amount out of necessity but has quickly become a huge negative when he is on the court. In games three and four, he has stopped dominating the ball as much offensively which is great but he has not been helpful on defense.
In game four on Sunday, Dallas sought Jackson out in multiple possessions, especially in overtime. Luka Doncic was able to score over him multiple times, including the game-winner after he got Reggie moving backward and created a ton of separation with his step-back.
Bev coming back fix a few of the issues the Clippers have. He might not be the solution but he would definitely help the team in a few ways. The Clippers may have still dropped a game or two but I guarantee they would at least have felt closer. Get well soon, Bev. We need you.