[BR] Patrick Beverley Breaks Down What Makes Him the Peskiest Defender in the NBA

^ you should see a doctor about that

 

ive noticed lins handles have improved drastically since last season, and i can guarantee you that practicing with beverley has a lot to do with that.

 

Good point. Maybe it also has the effect of making Lin more timid. When he takes chances during practice, Bev will make him pay.

In the long run, this can only be good for the team.

 

I wonder if practicing against Beverly has helped Harden. Maybe it seems easier against real competition than vs Beverly in practice?

 

None of us can see behind close doors. But it's definitely in the realm of possibility. It would be a relatively safe assumption to say that Beverley probably hand checks the **** out of Harden in practice. Playing through that physicality at least gives Harden good practice which logically would make him better.

 

Also, it's not just about how many points the opposing pg gets. By hounding the pg, Beverley disrupts the entire offense, leading to fewer baskets overall.

 

Excellent articles but Tmac disagrees about all that .

 

-Chris Webber
-JVG
-Kevin Mchale
-Steve Kerr
-Skip Bayless
-David Aldridge

Did I miss anybody?

 

George Karl

 

Dennis Rodman?

 

Bev plays like he knows he has 5 fouls allowed. Most players feel out the game and see how physcial the refs will allow the game to be. Once they find the line, they will back off the line to avoid fouls. Bev seems to find the line, tip-toes it, and sometimes goes over it if a suitable risk/reward presents itself. So while most players avoid fouls, Bev understands he has 5 chances to get really all up in that grill.

Cons I SEE (I didn't look for stats to back this up) are:

1. His 3s are inconsistently consistent? If he's making them, he'll make more than 50% in the game. If he's not, he'll make less than 30%.

2. Dumb jump shot fouls. Dangerous for the other players, too.

3. Some ESPN/TNT announcer said this, but I kinda see it. He sometimes plays up/down to competition. He was jacked up for the Westbrook matchup, but doesn't seem to play with the same intensity with some lesser known players.

 

Damn good article

 

Fatality! (Lebron's head is missing)

 

....and they are all correct. Bev could probably b**** slap most pgs with one hand tied behind his back.

 

Jeezus, when i first the thread title "Pat Bev breaks..."

I almost had heart atttack lol.

 

Great story, always love pat Beverley. I don't know about you guys' first impression of him. I actually was pretty impressed with his offense in the first game he played as a rockets. He was quick, driving hard, shot the ball well. I think his offense is a little bit underrated, he definitely can do more, it is just he spent so much effort and focus on the defensive end, it's really hard to do it on both ends, plus the current system does not need him to do much on the offensive end. He is very solid.

 

I think he and curry worked out together last summer. A good pairing to improve each other's game.

 

This...It's completely underused by players in this league and I don't get it. Defensive players just want to let you set up and then just contest. They want to let you fast break and then foul. I used to love playing mind tricks defensively on players. Make them react to you and change their approach/plan.

 

This reads like a recipe for a player who is going to change dramatically for the worse after a big pay day. I sincerely hope that isn't the case.

 

Agree, RV6. Zwerling really did an excellent job writing and laying out this article, in my opinion. I loved reading Beverley's breakdown of how he plays defense. Someone mentioned Battier earlier, well Bev would probably drive him nuts, since he says that he doesn't really prepare for a particular player, which is the opposite of Shane's approach. Battier is the über preparation junkie. The guy is a maniac about it. I wish we'd had the two of them together. Talk about a fantasy! Two opposite approaches to defense, both very, very effective. Beverley is such an old school guy, and I love how he plays the game. My list of "favorite players" keeps growing!

Thanks for the find, J.R.! And Clutch, more supporting material for your take on Beverley deserving to start. :-D-