When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Patrick Beverley, many believe it is the beginning of the end for Russell Westbrook in LA. After all, how can the two guards with a longstanding beef be able to play with each other?
Kendrick Perkins, however, thinks the Lakers should give the Westbrook-Beverley duo a chance since he believes it would be beneficial to both of them. For one, he doesn't see their beef being a problem. Second, the former NBA big man sees Beverley motivating Westbrook and getting him more accountable for his shortcomings.
“We heard Darvin Ham speaking about how he wants Russell Westbrook to be the best defensive player that he has ever been, or have one of the best defensive seasons that he has ever had. … So when I come up with this analogy, iron sharpens iron. When you bring Patrick Beverley over there, now all of a sudden Russell Westbrook can't get away with the things that he got away with last year because he has Patrick Beverley who is gonna push him,” Perkins explained.
Big Perk also noted that if Westbrook has the right mindset, he and Pat Bev could actually thrive alongside each other. In fact, Perkins went as far as to saying the two Lakers guards “actually could be the most dangerous defensive backcourt in the NBA.”
"Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook actually could be the most dangerous defensive backcourt in the NBA."
—@KendrickPerkins 👀 pic.twitter.com/Y1NCwUjSYG
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 26, 2022
Now it's really hard to see how Westbrook and Beverley will be able to succeed together, though Kendrick Perkins does make a good point on how the presence of Pat Bev could impact Russ.
However, as mentioned, that will only happen if the Lakers decide to keep Westbrook. While the signs show that the Purple and Gold have no problem with that, there remains the possibility of a trade.
For now, fans can only wait and see what the team will do to the roster.
Follow Us
Subscribe