Two teams dumped Patrick Beverley at the trade deadline. The team who picked him up is happy they did.
Since the Bulls signed Beverley, after the Lakers traded him and the Magic waived him, the team has gone 8-4. In that 12-game stretch, they have the league’s best defensive rating.
A lot of that is due to adding “Mr. 94 feet”, a nickname Beverley acquired because he pressures every part of the court. It’s why he’s a three-time All-Defensive point guard.
With Lonzo Ball out all season, the Bulls were relying on Ayo Dosunmu as their point-of-attack defender, and Beverley is a huge upgrade.
Beverley even has his moments of offensive brilliance, like in a scoring run last week against the Heat. Chicago is also seventh in offensive rating since Beverley arrived, even though they’re 24th on the season.