How much will the loss of Patrick Beverley impact the LA Clippers?
Earlier this week, it was revealed (by Shams Charania) that LA Clippers starting point guard Patrick Beverley underwent successful surgery on his left wrist. His timeline to return is 3-4weeks or roughly the end of the 2020-21 regular season.
Beverly will miss almost all the Clippers stretch run as they prepare for a redemption run in the playoffs.
While Beverly will certainly be missed, the addition of Rajon Rondo – who the team added at the February trade deadline – will help ease the blow tremendously. Beverley recently returned from a 12-game absence, but his presence was short-lived, appearing in a seldom two games before his wrist forced him back to the sideline.
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Overall this season the LA Clippers are 14-8 when Beverly is out of the lineup, they went 8-4 during Beverley’s recent 12-game-absence.
With the Clippers’ trio of Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Beverley are on the floor the team is plus-84 in 355 minutes this season. When the trio is off the floor the Clippers are minus-69 in 492 minutes.
Among 23 lineups that have played 200 minutes or more, the LA Clippers’ traditional starting lineup – George, Leonard, Beverley, Nicolas Batum, and Serge Ibaka – boasts the fourth-best plus-minus clocking in at plus-87 over the course of 264 across 19 games.
With the NBA regular season set to conclude on May 16, there’s a chance that we don’t see Beverley playing for the Clippers again until the playoffs. As it stands, the Clippers sit in third in the Western Conference with a 36-18 record.
Their record is impressive. However, they are only four games ahead of the Dallas Mavericks in the loss column who currently occupy the West’s seventh seed or the first of four spots for the playoff play-in tournament. The LA Clippers currently control their own destiny, but they can’t afford any slip-ups heading into the playoffs.