NBA: 7 under-appreciated players whose impact goes beyond the box score

NBA Boston Celtics Marcus Smart (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
NBA Boston Celtics Marcus Smart (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
5 of 8
NBA
NBA Los Angeles Clippers Patrick Beverley (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

4. Patrick Beverley, Los Angeles Clippers

Current stats: 6.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.4 apg, 0.7 spg, 0.5 bpg

Patrick Beverley has never been known as much of an offensive threat and that’s why when you look at his box score numbers, you don’t obviously think, “key contributor”. But that’s exactly what Beverley is.

What earned him a place in the NBA from Russia and what has allowed him to remain in the league since 2013 has been his gritty, hard-nosed style of play. He gets in the heads of his opponents, irritating them with his tough, physical, lockdown defence. He really is the perfect example of a guy you’d love to have on your team and hate to play against.

Pat is also a decent 3-point shooter (37%) and a steady floor general and if he can improve his scoring within the arc (maybe by adding a floater), he would really up his two-way value.