Amongst the players shipped out by the Los Angeles Lakers during the trade deadline was veteran guard Patrick Beverley. Despite being a regular starter for the team, the Lakers chose to deal Beverley to the Orlando Magic in exchange for big man Mo Bamba.
The Magic would then buy out Beverley and he has since agreed to a deal with the Chicago Bulls, marking a return to his hometown. While there was nothing but respect and love both ways after the trade, Beverley has always been someone who thrives on conflict and he has now found a new goal with his new team.
Beverley has already checked the schedule and he knows that the Bulls have two games against the Lakers. And on the latest episode of The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone, he made it clear that he wants to play a part in ensuring the Lakers don’t make the postseason:
“We play the Lakers twice […] Knockin’ em out the playoffs. Yeah like we got to get in the playoffs so excuse us. Like a little scootch.”
Much like the Lakers, the Bulls find themselves on the outside of the playoff picture trying to get a spot in at least the Play-In Tournament. As such, every single game will be extremely important as time is running out on their ability to reach the postseason.
But as Beverley showed last year, he is driven by disrespect and proving people wrong. His celebration after the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in the Play-In Game was in large part due to them trading him away and feeling like they would be better without him. Now that same emotion will be there, just directed towards the Lakers.
Whether or not he will succeed in doing so is an entirely different question. The Lakers finally seem to be getting healthy and at full strength looking to gel, while the Bulls recently shut down former Lakers guard Lonzo Ball for the season and are on a six-game losing streak.
Regardless, Beverley will be motivated to dash the hopes of his former team and the Lakers will need to be ready at the end of March when these two teams meet in a back-to-back on the 26th and 29th.
LeBron James calls Lakers final 23 games the most important of his career
And in order for Beverley to make good on his desires, he and the Bulls will have to take down a Lakers team led by an extremely motivated LeBron James. The Lakers superstar recently spoke on this final stretch of the season for the Lakers, calling it the most important regular season games of his career.
LeBron spoke on this prior to Sunday’s All-Star Game, adding that he hopes it’s the mindset that the rest of the Lakers come back with as well and that he plans on doing everything possible to ensure he is on the floor every night.
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