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PATRICK BEVERLY HAS CHANGED THE CULTURE IN MINNESOTA 

The Minnesota Timberwolves currently sit ten games above .500 at a record of 40-30 this season and are now 8-2 in their last 10. Several factors internal and external have lead to their "breakout" season but one of them I want to get into is one of the more underrated and over-hated players in todays league is Patrick Beverly. 

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THE UNDERRATED VALUE OF HAVING A DAWG

In todays era and league what is not talked about enough is having elite veterans on a team and especially in the locker rooms, especially on young rebuilding teams. Patrick Beverley has one of the greatest basketball stories ever. Was a high school phenom --one of the best in his class at that time actually-- went on to get drafted by the Miami Heat in the 09 draft class and was then sent overseas for "further development". Pat played in Ukraine, Greece, and Russia and then came back to the states to join the Houston Rockets. Other than the 2018 season where Beverley played only 11 games, he has made the playoffs every year of his career. As we know, Patrick Beverley is one of the toughest players in the league. He has that chip on his shoulder and something to prove every night. He wears his heart on his sleeve. Simply put it he's a dawg. You can't teach the hustle Pat Bev has. And often times the effort and passion Beverley plays with is misconstrued and given a negative connotation due to the fanbase of the nba not having the same love for defensive players as their is for offensive players. But that's another story for another day. What Pat Bev has added as the locker room veteran and leader on and off the court should be talked about more. Beverley is one of those vets the Twolves disparately needed. He's brutally honest, he's gonna be in your grill, and he is also gonna lead by example. After trading for Jimmy Butler in 2018--which I'll get into more later-- the Timberwolves won 47 games. The next season they won 36, in 2020 they won 19, and in 2021 the Twolves won just 23 games. Now I can say due to coaching changes, injuries, etc can be said to those record not being as bad as they are on paper. With seven games left in the season they have already won 40. They've been playing great basketball this season, on both sides of the floor. 

GettyImages/Jaylen Nowell and DLo on Pat Bev

“We just want to keep the intensity up. You know, PatBev, that’s a guy right there that’s on everybody on the team, making sure that we don’t take any day for granted. Hence why we came out and we make sure to lock up on D,” Wolves guard Jaylen Nowell said, following his team’s 114-112 win in overtime against the Denver Nuggets

“A lot of credit to him for just changing our mentality as a group. He opened our eyes to everybody wanting to be like him defensively and just changing our mentality,” point guard D’Angelo Russell said after the preseason game against the New Orleans Pelicans. “I told him, ‘I’m excited for you to be here.’ It just gives us that much more confidence. If you don’t have his mentality, the way he walks it, the way he talks it, it’s contagious. I think it’s great for our guys.”

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LOCKDOWN DEFENSE

As 3x DPOY Rudy Gobert said a while back this season, defense is a team effort, not just one player. The Minnesota Timberwolves have a defensive rating of 110.5, its best since 2016(110.1). Guys like D'Angelo Russell who had once been known as a negative defender has a defensive rating of 113.6 this season, a career best. And not just to use the advanced nerd stats of the game, going by the eye test this season the effort is there from DLo and that's what defense is all about. The five man lineup of Patrick Beverley, D'Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Karl Anthony-Towns is one of the best lineups in the league statistically offensive and defensive rating wise. Usually a three guard lineup is a recipe for disaster but Pat Bev,DLo, and Ant have bought in this season and have been great this year together.  Another attribution to the Twolves having a good defense is the impact Jared Vanderbilt has. In just twenty-six minutes a game Vando' averages 8.7 boards, 1.4 blocks, 0.7 blocks, and with a defensive rating of 106.2 this year. He can guard multiple positions, high iq when it comes to when and how to switch, and a great help defender. Vanderbilt alongside KAT anchors that paint defense. Players like Josh Okogie can now thrive in a defensive specialist role without being much asked on the offensive side. And guys like Jaden McDaniels and Jarred Vanderbilts are long, lengthy, and are some great team defenders to surround KAT, who is also a good team defender.

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IMPACT ON OFFENSE

 Patrick Beverley as well has been impactful on the offensive end as well. Pat Bev has been a great game manager and floor general on that end for Minnesota. Averaging nine points and five dimes a game, Bev has been one of the reasons the three guard lineup has been able to work. The big 3 of Anthony Edwards, D'Angelo Russell, and Karl Towns have combined for 64.6 points per game on the season. Part of that is everyone buying in and their ability to mesh as a team. Having guys like Pat Bev and Vando who aren't looking to score helps as well. The 2 man pick and roll game of Bev and an elite big man such as Karl Towns has been great as well. Especially when you have two dynamic scorers in D'Lo and Ant off the ball. Another big thing with the Twolves is how they answer to adversity as it has changed this season under the leadership of Pat Bev. They've had stretches such as in November winning only one out of an eight game stretch but are currently on a 8-2 stretch looking to finish this season strong. 

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HEALTH

Another big reason as for the Twolves successful season so far is health. Ever since the DLo trade, KAT and DLo could barely stay on the court together. KAT has played 63 games this season, his most since 2019. DLo has played 55 games this season which is his most since 2019 as well. Nowadays, the best ability is availability. 

Shoutout to Mr. All 94 Feet Patrick Beverley and the Minnesota Timberwolves. I am ironically publishing this after KATs dominant 60 piece nugget! Shoutout KAT too!!