NBA point player are notoriously tough to drop in an era where rules prohibit contact and shooting skills reign supreme. Patrick Beverley, is among the best protectors in the league, but even he does not enjoy every matchup.
When asked on the JJ Redick podcast who his hardest protective task is, Beverley reacted with a name familiar to Portland Trail Blazers fans: Damian Lillard. Lillards speed and shooting capability make a nightmare mix for any challenger.
From the clip above:
Dame is among the reasons I went into the weight space. I told my men, “Hey, I got ta get faster laterally. I dont seem like Im quick. I cant keep up with the speed right now. I do not know if I need to drop weight. I dont know if I require to get more powerful. If I need to work with a brand-new [I do not know insert profanity here] team. I require to get [ insert blasphemy here] faster. I have you men break that down.”
And so we worked an entire bunch and, you know, prime example, last year, iso play, game winner, and I get a stop on him. All that work for one play. One play!
Mentioning Lillards evolution out of the shadow of Steph Curry into his own light, Beverley said:
Hes in a system where they enable him to be precisely who he remains in order for them to win at a high level. Those half-court shots resemble … for me thats layups and corner shots. Half-court shots for him, however, you understand … the dynamic is really various when youre going out there preparing for a gamer like that … way different.
The Blazers face Beverleys existing group, the Clippers, in Game 5 of the eight-game routine season reboot. The matchup is slated for August 8th.
I told my men, “Hey, I got ta get faster laterally. I dont know if I need to lose weight. I do not understand if I need to get stronger. And so we worked an entire lot and, you understand, prime example, last year, iso play, game winner, and I get a stop on him. Half-court shots for him, however, you know … the dynamic is extremely different when youre going out there preparing for a player like that … way different.
