LA Clippers 3rd Best Player Candidate: Patrick Beverley
Giving the nod to Patrick Beverly probably won’t surprise the masses. His energy and personality have been a huge part of the Clippers’ identity for the entirety of his time with the team.
Despite his frame, he is always willing to guard the opposing team’s best player and is probably one of the most annoying players to be guarded by due to his loud persona and pesky antics.
He’s never been an elite playmaker, nor a top-tier scorer, but his essence is one of the most important assets the Clippers have going for them.
This season with the Clippers, Beverley has averaged 8.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. As touched on before, these numbers don’t especially stand out, but him being Patrick Beverley alone makes his value sky-rocket.
The biggest thing holding Beverley back is his health. As of right now, he hasn’t played since March 11, missing the last 12 games. This hasn’t been his only absent period from the court, as he sat eight consecutive games from late January to early February.
His health is a massive red flag, but his importance cannot be understated. He is the third-best player on the team and the Clippers better hope he stays healthy in the postseason, because in all honesty, if Patrick Beverley isn’t playing, the Clippers won’t win the championship.
While everyone has pitched in when needed, Patrick Beverley is the third-best member of the LA Clippers. Still, the importance of Marcus Morris, Ivica Zubac, Serge Ibaka, Luke Kennard, and Nicolas Batum cannot be understated. The team has managed around their many injuries by filling this role regularly by someone else on a game-by-game basis, and it is honestly great to see that the Clippers have options.