NBA Rumors: Clippers, Not LeBron’s Lakers, Are ‘Best Team In L.A.,’ Says Patrick Beverley
The 2018 NBA free agency concluded with the Los Angeles Clippers losing the last member of their “Big Three.” After Chris Paul was traded to the Houston Rockets and Blake Griffin headed to the Detroit Pistons, DeAndre Jordan finally found his way out of Los Angeles and now a member of the Dallas Mavericks. Even when they still have Jordan last season, the Clippers missed the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2011, showing that they were no longer a team to fear in the deep Western Conference.
However, according to ClutchPoints, Patrick Beverley, one of the players the Clippers acquired in the Chris Paul trade, claimed that the Clippers are still the best team in Los Angeles. The 30-year-old point guard is confident that the Clippers will be returning in the NBA Playoffs next season.
“I am just fortunate to be at such a great ball club with a great coaching staff, great management, a great owner, great teammates to be able to perform for you guys every single night. We are the best team in L.A. I know Lawrence Frank didn’t give you guys exactly what you wanted to hear but I’ll tell y’all right now, we are the best team in L.A. for sure. We are going to give our best effort every night and we are making the playoffs.”
Patrick Beverley Says Clippers Are Legit Contenders, Better Than Lakers https://t.co/agxws5UHHt
— TMZ (@TMZ) July 7, 2018
Though Patrick Beverley didn’t mention names of other NBA teams, it’s crystal clear that he is saying that the Clippers are still better than the Lakers. With all their “Big Three” gone, even Clippers fan will definitely have a hard time proving Beverley’s claim, especially now that the best basketball player on the planet, LeBron James, is playing for the Lakers.
In the ESPN Forecast, panelists were asked to predict the win totals for all the 30 NBA teams in the 2018-19 NBA season. LeBron James and the Lakers are expected to finish as the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference with a win-loss record of 46-36. Meanwhile, panelist predicted Patrick Beverley and the Clippers to miss the NBA Playoffs for the second consecutive year, finishing at the 11th spot in the Western Conference with a win-loss record of 35-47.
Of course, those are just mere predictions and lots of things can happen when the real battle begins. Despite having a huge improvement this offseason, the Lakers still need to work on their chemistry and are yet to find out which pieces work around James. Only their performance in the 2018-19 NBA season can prove who is really the best team in Los Angeles.
