The LA Clippers made a big change to the injury report today; Patrick Beverley has been upgraded from OUT to QUESTIONABLE ahead of tonight’s game against the Toronto Raptors.
Bev’s been out nursing a broken hand since April 9th, and the Clippers could certainly use their point guard back. Nobody needs to be told to be excited for the return of Beverley, but let’s do a bit of a dive.
The LA Clippers are getting Patrick Beverley back soon; here are three reasons to be excited about his return.
Of course, Patrick Beverley is going to help in a multitude of ways, but I think they can roughly be broken into three categories. Let’s dive into those now, starting with:
LA Clippers: Patrick Beverley’s Benefits #1 – His Energy
The LA Clippers are going to appreciate Patrick Beverley’s energy and motor when he comes back. There have been some cases, especially in the recent losses, when the Clips can get a bit complacent and just start firing threes.
Bev has a well-earned reputation for going at 110 percent every minute he’s on the court. The Clippers will be happy to have somebody to help pull them out of funks when they need.
More than any statistical improvement, Beverley’s inability to take a play off is going to be crucial for the Clippers as they keep fighting for playoff seeding and begin a playoff push.
Coach Lue will have to be careful managing Bev’s energy, especially in the lead up to the regular season. That same motor that keeps him going 100 miles per hour every single second can also lead to a propensity for injuries.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Clips handle Beverley’s minutes in the regular season, but once the playoffs come, I expect to see him unleashed and going full speed every game.