The Los Angeles Lakers took another preseason loss on Wednesday as they were dealt with a 119-115 loss courtesy of the Phoenix Suns. LA is now 0-2 following a 105-75 blowout loss in their preseason opener against the Sacramento Kings on Monday.
Despite the slow start, however, Lakers newcomer Patrick Beverley isn't sweating it. The veteran knows that there's much more to the preseason than just getting wins, especially for a new-look side like LA (via Corey Hansford of Lakers Nation):
“I just feel like, you go through a season especially with new guys, new faces, and a new team, I think you have to build that brotherhood first,” Beverley said. “That brotherhood comes with trust and once you build that brotherhood and you start to trust each other, I think the basketball comes easy.”
Beverley cited a specific instance during the game that exhibited exactly what he's talking about here:
Article Continues Below“And this is not even basketball,” Beverley added. “Two guys fell on the floor today. Half the team helped one guy up, half the team helped the other, that shows that we’re building a brotherhood here. And the more we do that, be a cohesive unit and be together, wins will come.”
Beverley is not wrong. Before anything else, the Lakers need to make sure that they are one cohesive unit. Everything else should follow.
The Lakers return to action on Thursday in a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which happens to be Beverley's former team. It will be an opportunity for the team to build more on the brotherhood Pat Bev is saying here as they look to solidify their team chemistry ahead of the new season.
A win would be good too, though. I know that this is the preseason but going down 0-3 doesn't exactly build confidence for the team or for its demanding fans.