Lakers News: Skip Bayless Criticizes Resting Lakers' Seating Arrangements, So Patrick Beverley Criticizes Skip Bayless
During your Los Angeles Lakers' 114-99 Thursday preseason loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, head coach Darvin Ham decided to rest vets LeBron James, Anthony Davis (who's already dealing with a back injury), Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn on the second night of a back-to-back. Two other sidelined vets, Dennis Schröder and Troy Brown Jr., have yet to suit up for a preseason game.
Fox Sports 1 commentator Skip Bayless played body language expert from afar. In a tweet, he claimed that stars James and Davis for sitting next to Patrick Beverley but not Russell Westbrook, sitting elsewhere on the bench, was a clear indication that Westbrook was somehow out of favor with James and Davis. "Says it all," Bayless concluded about the seating arrangements.
Beverley himself pushed back against this claim, writing, "No it doesn't. Stop searching [S]kip. Sheesh."
The 34-year-old point guard has been adamant (especially on Twitter) that there is no beef between himself and Westbrook, or Westbrook and the rest of the team, since becoming a Laker in August.
At the end of the day, how much there really is to parse from preseason seating arrangements is somewhat in the eye of the beholder. That said, it is pretty clear that the Lakers are looking to move on from Westbrook and his $47.1 million contract, and Beverley, earning a much more reasonable $13 million this year, certainly seems to be a solid replacement.
At this point in their respective careers, Beverley is an excellent fit alongside James and Davis, as a three-point shooting floor spacer, solid off-ball player, and stellar defender. He can also thrive as a secondary playmaker. Westbrook, meanwhile, is most effective with the ball in his hands, but has been a poor three-point shooter and an apathetic defender for the past few years.
