9. Patrick Beverley (written by Jonathan Geib)
Patrick Beverley is a new face in town for the Philadelphia 76ers and he brings a much-needed toughness and veteran leadership. Similar to PJ Tucker, Beverley is respected and for what he lacks in talent, he makes up for in intensity, leaving everything out on the floor.
Beverley comes in at the 9 spot in our preseason Ranking the Sixers roundtable. He will likely see sufficient bench minutes early in the season and he has the opportunity under new head coach Nick Nurse, to earn postseason playing time if he shows up throughout the regular season.
The Philadelphia 76ers will be the fourth team that the 35-year-old journeyman has played for in just the last three seasons.
Beverley has struggled to find a home since his time with the Clippers.
It is well documented the underperformance of the Sixers, who have lost in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in five of the last six seasons. A number of media outlets have questioned the team’s toughness and discipline. Beverley certainly has the cache to lay into anyone, even Joel Embiid, who lacks effort on the hardwood.
A critique of Beverley that has carried with him throughout his NBA career is that he can wear on his teammates quickly, which may have led to the extensive number of teams he has played for. People have said similar things about Nick Nurse, which honestly may not be a long-term worry.
If the Sixers continue to underperform, Joel Embiid’s future in Philly may come to an end much sooner than anyone wants. So the title window is rapidly closing, and a feisty veteran and coach may be what this team needs to go for it this year.