UPDATE: (November 22)
Patrick Beverley will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery, the Clippers announced. Beverley is expected to be healthy by the time training camp for the 2018-19 season arrives.
The following is the original Def Pen story:
After the Los Angeles Clippers lost franchise point guard Chris Paul this past summer in a deal with the Houston Rockets, the franchise knew their guard rotation had to be bolstered. Though Paul’s presence is sorely missed as indicated by their current 9-game losing streak, the defensive prowess of Patrick Beverley has made Paul’s departure an easier pill to swallow.
Beverly had been serving as Paul’s replacement as the Clips starting point guard but now it seems they’ll have to find yet another option. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Beverley underwent knee surgery this morning:
LA Clippers starting point guard Patrick Beverley underwent a surgical procedure on his right knee Wednesday, league sources tell ESPN.
Although there is no immediate timetable for his return, Beverley is expected to miss a significant amount of time, league sources said.
As is typical of knee procedures, we shouldn’t expect to see Patrick Beverley out on the court anytime soon. Beverley missed 5 games this season due to soreness in that same knee before playing limited minutes against the Knicks on Monday. The knee may not have reacted as he would’ve hoped, thus prompting the surgical procedure.
During the games in which he was active, Beverley did what he does best, locking up opposing guards and getting in their head. With a slightly expanded offensive role as well, Beverley was posting a career-high per game scoring mark of 12.2 points while grabbing over 4 rebounds.
With Beverley out for the foreseeable future, someone is going to have to step up and keep this crumbling Clippers team afloat. Blake Griffin has been his typical self but without a solidified secondary option, the Clippers are a team in desperate need of a spark. Expect the volume scoring tandem of Lou Williams and Austin Rivers to hold down a majority of the backcourt duties with Beverley sidelined.
