Don't forget the bad guy Austin Rivers is with us now. Good thing (or too bad) Toyota Center doesn't have a secret tunnel between the locker rooms.
Defensive guys watch tapes on offensive guys. Offensive guys study too. And as Harden said in his recent SAS interview, he watches how different teams (and personnel) defends the Rockets, well ... counter moves. KD said "Ya'll know who I am" (referring to Pat Bev). Tonight James can say the same on the Clippers. Beverly as a ex-rocket has some good will here. However, playing hard doesn't auto equate to playing defense well. On some nights, even good defenders get torched, but I think the criticism comes with flopping and reckless reach-ins then get fouled out. It's usually an indication that regular legit defense is failing. Bev's a talker, so if you're going to talk have to back up the D. All NBA players have done some movement exaggeration, but flopping as a main tactic is bad form. If with high frequency, it's ineffective defense. Refs catches on, even the biased ones can't blatantly ignore. People use 'Pesky' to describe Pat Bev and say that's how he stayed in the league, it is really a double edged comment. It's weird, when I think back on Battier, Chuck Wagon, and fast forward to Tucker, their defense seems more earned in comparison.
He's on our side now, but I still can't stand his smugness. I have no idea how this guy won the MVP popularity contest with how he talks to the media and to humans in general. Pat Bev didn't get baited into a response this time, which was mature of him. In Bev's defense: Clippers were a +7 with him on the court, -16 with him off 33% opp FG with him on, and 45% with him off Harden 4-13 with him on the court, and 8-13 with him off the court. You would never hear Harden brag about how many points he dropped on an opponent like Russ did in that playoff game. It really makes me appreciate Harden and how humble he is. He has had plenty of opportunity to be so given his historic performances, but has always given the professional/mature response, and somehow continues to get negative press.
Pat can be a good defender sometimes, but sometimes he isn't the smartest defender. That being said, I wish WB wouldn't trash talk, it hasn't worked out for him historically.
Bev has been listening and reading his press clippings a little too much and has become a gimmick. No longer playing tough D, he's just trying to trick the refs into calling phantom fouls. Bev get back to moving your feet, stay in front of your man, get your hand up, and box out on the shot. All this floppy and trickery has u looking real bad bro..
"Pat Bev trick y'all, man, like he playing defense," Westbrook said. "He don't guard nobody, man. It's just running around, doing nothing. ... All that commotion to get 47."
everyone knows both these guys aren't fond of one another but wb just took this chance to take a shot, despite not being entirely accurate. Next friday's matchup in LA w/ pg13 back
I’ll take Pat any day of the week. The way that I look at it you should have 2 junkyard dogs for every 3 offensively minded players on your team and at least 2 on the floor at all times. I’m starting to warm up to Russ but let’s be real his defense is fake, Pats’ is real. You will never stop a great scorer but you can make him less efficient and live in their head a little because you make them work harder than they normally have to. Pat and PJ do that. Hopefully we can find another one or two as this season progresses.
In all fairness, Bev was doing that during his stint with the Rockets. Always loved the effort but even then, it was infuriating to watch him pick up tick tack fouls just trying to bait the foul instead of just playing straight up defense. His on ball defense is vastly over-rated, his annoyance factor an all time great. They were showing the Clippers +/- defensive rating with him on and off the floor - I find that to be more coincidence than anything.
I'm not sure if you all are playing the full Westbrook interview or not, but he also compliments Beverley after saying that. Harden also complimented him after the game. I loved Bev when he was here, but he can go F' himself now. He is a dog, and I would welcome him back to keep Hartenstein and Ryno company on the bench, but he's a lousy point guard who frequently embarrasses himself. Westbrook runs circles around him.
Your post said wb runs circles round bev. But everyone has seen wb/bev matchup through the years and wb is far from running circles around him. if anything bev does exactly what hes supposed to and wb being who he is gets reeled in
