Whether Los Angeles Lakers fans like it or not, they have to start accepting the reality that Patrick Beverley is about to become a member of the Purple & Gold nation. Regardless of how they feel about him, the same fans know what exactly is the best asset that Beverley can bring to the table for the Lakers, and that's his defense. Beverley has built a career by being a relentless and effective defender around the perimeter. Perhaps nothing underscores those qualities more than the fact brought up by ESPN STATS & Info.

“Patrick Beverley will look to add to a Lakers team that struggled on defense last season, ranking 21st in defensive efficiency. Over the last 5 seasons, Beverley has allowed the 2nd-lowest FG pct as the closest defender among players with 2,000 shots defended over that span.”

The Lakers are giving up two wings in Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson for Beverley. Johnson and THT are versatile bodies to cover the ground around the perimeter, but neither of those guys has the body of work on defense that Patrick Beverley has. In the 2021-22 NBA season, THT and Johnson each had a defensive rating of 114. Beverley, meanwhile, posted a 111 defensive rating, which was not something to write home about either, but that's actually third-best among regular Minnesota Timberwolves starters.

In addition to that, opponents shoot 8.1 percent worse from behind the arc when Patrick Beverley was on the floor last season for the Timberwolves and 1.5 percent worse overall. He is someone who could definitely plug the hole in the Lakers' leaky backcourt defense that allowed the second-most points to opposing guards last season.

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While not known for his abilities on the other end of the floor, Patrick Beverley is a decent outside shooter, who should be able to stretch the floor and keep opponents honest on defense. He is a career 37.8 percent 3-point shooter. The 34-year-old Beverley could easily fit alongside LeBron James, perhaps better than Russell Westbrook, in large part because he's a low-usage asset who will not take away much from the four-time NBA MVP's ball-dominant ways.

The Los Angeles Lakers know exactly what they are getting in Patrick Beverley, and it will just be up to him to show his impact once the 2022-23 NBA season starts.