Patrick Beverley has helped turn the Bulls around when it comes to results and team morale.
I feel like I’ve been writing about Patrick Beverley every other day since he joined the Chicago Bulls in late February. To be 100% honest, I didn’t think he’d make a huge impact. I was wrong.
Since joining the Bulls, Beverley has averaged 6.1 PPG, 3.8 APG, and 5.9 RPG. While those individual numbers may not jump off the page as “impactful,” the veteran guard has been a sparkplug for a Bulls team that was previously sputtering. Beverley has been just the player the Bulls needed to turn their season around.
Since Beverley’s arrival, the Bulls are 10-5. They rank in the top five of net and defensive ratings and check in at 10th in offensive rating. It seems having a legitimate point guard is super beneficial, huh? It’s almost unbelievable how much he has helped turn this team around and get their “swagger” back.
We’ve gone over some of the numbers, but that’s only a fraction of what Beverley brings to the table. He’s like an injection of energy. His belief in himself and his teammates seems to be contagious. Beverley has stated multiple times that he wants to get the Bulls into the playoffs and be the one who knocks the Los Angeles Lakers out of postseason contention.
After Sunday’s matchup, the score is one to nothing, with the point going to Beverley. In his return to Crypto.Com Arena, the former Laker helped lead the Bulls to victory and became the center of attention in the process.
This man was out here throwing shade at NFL legend and Fox Sports personality Shannon Sharpe. He was yelling at the Los Angles Lakers fan base up and down the court as well. He took this matchup seriously, and his play on the court exemplified it.
Though Beverley was dogging the crowd, he showed LeBron James some love before tip-off. After the pleasantries subsided and the game heated up, he sent the internet abuzz.
After scoring a little hook shot over his former teammate, the 6-foot-1 Beverley hit James with the “too small” hand gesture before slapping the floor, and the bench loved every second of it.
Everything is better when you’re winning, right? Sure, Zach LaVine has been leading the way on the stat sheet. But the fun atmosphere, new and improved play, and overall optimism surrounding the Bulls should be largely credited to Patrick Beverley. Hopefully he can keep this team rolling and continue to provide a compelling product of basketball as the Bulls enter the home stretch of the season.
