Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The LA Clippers have acquired Eric Bledsoe in exchange for Patrick Beverley. The mourning for losing Beverley rages on and it doesn’t bode well for Bledsoe.
It was a shock to many LA Clippers fans when they saw the notification sweep across their screens saying that Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo and Daniel Oturu will move from Los Angeles to Tennessee to join the Memphis Grizzlies. What was the reason? How does this help us? Why Patrick Beverley???
All of these questions are understandable and it makes for a lot of uneasiness in the coming 2021-22 season in regard to what to expect with such heavy-hitters being moved to a new home. But the uneasiness should also be seen on the opposite end acquiring Eric Bledsoe.
This isn’t saying that Bledsoe can’t be a great second-string guard for the Clippers; he was averaging 12.2 points per game while in New Orleans. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be a Beverley-shaped hole in a hungry-for-success Clippers team.
Here’s why…
3. Beverley’s a better defender
Patrick Beverley was a terror in the Western Conference Finals. This matchup between Los Angeles and the Phoenix Suns made for quality basketball. Though Kawhi Leonard was out, Beverley stepped up in every sense of the word. The biggest question would be how would the Clippers face up against Devin Booker, who is a threat as a superstar scorer.
Beverley did just that, he worked Booker throughout the duration of the series, giving him a hard time and holding him to 34.6 percent shooting from Game 2 onward, when he was given the task of defending Book.
His contributions, partnered with the Clippers as a whole, left Booker barely sliding by LA to get to the NBA Finals. His contributions leading the Clippers to their first Western Conference Finals appearance was one to remember, and expectations for Bledsoe will be high.