Chicago Bulls veteran guard Patrick Beverley has no problems discussing whatever is on his mind. It is part of the 11-year pro’s charm. While it may irritate opponents and rub some people the wrong way, Beverley’s candor can also galvanize a locker room. Bulls head coach Billy Donovan understands this better than anyone and appreciates Beverley’s willingness to speak his mind.
“He’s very, very honest and direct, and I think you need that in a locker room. You need to have hard conversations. You need to be able to talk and communicate,” Donovan said. “And I don’t think he’s afraid to do that.”
Brings the best out of each teammate
Beverley is as fiery as they come, and at times, it can be a bit too much for people in the locker room. However, when leveraged the right way, his passion can have a positive effect on his teammates. Donovan believes that Beverley has the ability to bring the best out of each teammate by pushing them to their limit.
“He doesn’t do it in a way where it’s like negativity or complaining. It’s him seeing the best in each guy on our team and trying to bring out the best in each guy on our team,” added Donovan. “The thing I think is important for our team is he is always amped up. The volume is always at 10, in a positive way. And I love that.”
Holds everyone accountable
For most of the season, the Bulls were like a ship without a captain, floating aimlessly in the sea. Beverley changed all that with his leadership-by-example attitude, always giving it his all on both ends of the court and holding everyone else accountable. It’s like what the doctor ordered for the Bulls’ season, says the team’s All-Star wingman DeMar DeRozan.
“The aura he brings as a competitor, he’s extremely vocal, his knowledge of the game, it’s small things that go a long way,” DeRozan said. “To have that goes a long way. And you’ve got to feed off that. He holds everybody accountable at any given moment. Shoot, he holds the training staff accountable if they don’t have the tape out in time.”
