CHICAGO (670 The Score) – If there was any doubt about whether veteran guard Patrick Beverley could add energy and passion to the Bulls after joining Chicago on the buyout market, consider his answer as he responded to a question about getting the chance to play for his hometown team.
“The way I play, I’d run through a wall for any team I play (for),” said Beverley, a Marshall High School product. “Now it’s even more, it’s the city where I’m from. I don’t know what might happen. I might pull some shit out that I ain’t never did before. I’m super excited. I’m super stoked. I can’t wait to get started.”
The Bulls gathered Wednesday evening at the Advocate Center for their first practice out of the All-Star break. They did so as a 26-33 team that’s reeling, as the Bulls sit 11th in the East and are riding a six-game losing streak. They also did so with a new face in the equation in the 34-year-old Beverley, who was officially signed Tuesday, less than two weeks after he was traded from the Lakers to the Magic. Beverley then reached a buyout agreement with Orlando without ever reporting to the team.
Beverley cited the opportunity to be in his hometown, to play for coach Billy Donovan and his friendship with guard Zach LaVine and forward DeMar DeRozan as the primary reasons that led to him to choose the Bulls, who needed guard depth with Lonzo Ball missing the entire season due to a lingering left knee injury.
“Just energy,” Beverley said when asked what he’ll bring the Bulls. “Energy and effort. Everything else is between the lines. Like I said, the game is about putting the ball in the hole and stopping the other team from putting the ball in the hole. When it comes to shooting, when it comes to stopping people, I’m pretty good at that. I just want to keep that going. And whatever my persona is, whatever my attitude is, kind of bring some of that on the team.”
An 11-year NBA veteran, Beverley averaged 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 26.9 minutes across 45 games for the Lakers before they parted ways with him. He’s shooting 40.2% overall and 34.8% on 3-pointers this season. He’s a career 37.6% 3-point shooter.
He’s known for his strong defense, leadership and outspoken personality, and he doesn’t plan to change a bit.
“My voice is always the same,” Beverley said. “I echo the same thing – that’s all about winning. I don’t echo ‘give me the ball,’ I don’t echo ‘I want to do it my way.’ My echo has been winning and impacting winning at any level.”
With Beverley having only one practice under his belt in Chicago, Donovan wasn’t yet certain Wednesday evening whether Beverley will start or come off the bench for the Bulls. Donovan also stressed that Beverley isn’t going to be counted on to save the struggling Bulls, but there’s a role of significance in which he can help the team.
“He's very bright and very smart,” Donovan said. “I don't think there's any question he's going to have a role on our team, he's going to be able to impact our group and help our group. He's a vocal guy and a vocal leader and a guy that's been on teams that made deep runs. I think he understands what winning basketball looks like and is supposed to be. From that perspective, we'll just try to utilize and maximize the things that he does really well.”
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.
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