Late in the Los Angeles Lakers’ eventual 115-105 loss to the Phoenix Suns, Lakers shooter Austin Reaves was battling with Devin Booker for rebound positioning. Booker pushed and fouled Reaves, before standing over him and seemingly yelling something untoward. LA starting center Deandre Ayton then stood over Reaves, still on the hardwood.
Patrick Beverley, still almost inexplicably the starting point guard for the Lakers, then chose to punish Ayton for trying to intimidate Reaves by pushing him in the back:
NBA Twitter was completely split on whether Beverley had the right to violently shove a guy from behind when his attention was elsewhere and there was a stoppage in play (spoiler alert: he wasn’t).
Bill Simmons snuck in a quick dig:
Hoops leader Kenny Beacham seemed to applaud the intensity, while finding it all quite funny:
FanDuel personality Eddie Gonzalez noted that Patrick Beverley has essentially become a hockey enforcer type presence for the Lakers. It’s just.
Apart from a few rebounds and occasional steals and assists, stirring up his team by pissing off the opposition is kind of his main job. This writer is bummed and thought Beverley had more to give in terms of actual basketball, but it seems the only thing he’s really excited for is shoving guys in the back while the action of the game is stopped. . Here he does the same to Chris Paul a few years ago:
Anyway, back to Twitter’s reactions to this latest push against a Suns player.
Lapinski hosts a radio show on 98.7 FM Arizona Sports. He’s not wrong.
Beverley really can’t do much on a basketball court as an actual player these days, so if he is suspended, it may help clarify Darvin Ham’s rotation.
A surprising number of NBA fans (well, maybe not so surprising, considering it’s one of the most violent countries in the world) were… in favor of Beverley’s push for her properties. of “team building”.
The reason this “ultimate teammate” decided to shove Ayton from behind rather than try to throw anything in his face was likely just a physical reason. Ayton is 10 inches tall and 70 inches heavier than 6’1″, 180-pound backup point guard Beverley.
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Remember: Patrick Beverley himself conceded that the shove was a mistake.
What is that? You thought Skip was going to deliver a smart, insightful take and not a BS “I don’t condone violence but a way to bring violence man” nonsense? Do you even hear yourself right now?
Lakers Nation’s Trevor Lane was oddly supportive as well.
There was some common sense to be found elsewhere, thankfully.
Are the Lakers feeling buyer’s remorse after trading for a down Pat Bev this summer?
And here are some humorous takes on the whole thing, at that:
Yes, what… an important service he renders.
I think calling Beverley 6’1″ might just be generous.
Anthony Irwin of Silver Screen and Roll has the right idea there…
Ouch but also, it is his specialty.
“What is that?” In effect.
A fan has taken to accusing Devin Booker of also enacting dangerous back shoving in his day. And he brought receipts (see above)!
