Patrick Beverley is one of the best trash-talkers in the NBA, especially when the topic is the Los Angeles Lakers.
When he was asked whether the Lakers are the team to beat, he gave a response that Lakers fans may not want to hear.
Patrick Beverley on if the Lakers are the team to beat: "No. I mean that with absolutely no disrespect. Not only to the Lakers organization, but any organization."
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) April 25, 2020
In the last few days before the 2019-20 season was suspended due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Lakers were staking a claim as the team to beat. They defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, 113-103, then beat Beverley’s Los Angeles Clippers, 112-103.
As of now, the Lakers hold a 49-14 record, which is tops in the Western Conference and 5.5 games ahead of the second-place Clippers.
But to be fair, a strong argument can be made for the Bucks, as well as the Clippers, being the team to beat.
Milwaukee has the best record in the league at 53-12, and they’ve amassed that record while playing in a conference that’s almost as tough as the Western Conference.
Although the Clippers have been inconsistent, especially on the defensive end, fans of theirs could argue that that said inconsistency has been entirely due to key players being in and out of their lineup.
If, or when, the NBA season resumes, we could be in store for the most intriguing and unpredictable postseason in recent memory.
