MILWAUKEE — New Bucks guard Patrick Beverley wasted no time making himself at home with his new team.
Beverley urged the young players to sit in front of the TV during the team's video session before Friday's 120-84 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. He grabbed a clipboard on the bench during a team meeting and appeared to be shouting instructions.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said he heard Beverley repeating defensive calls from coaches on the sideline. Beverley even made a play on the field, but he mistakenly used a play that Rivers said he hadn't had in his playbook since his days with the LA Clippers.
“The way I do things, I'm not going to make everyone happy,” Beverly said after scoring 6 points in 12 minutes in his Bucks debut. “I'm going to upset some people. I hold myself to a high standard and expect everyone else to do the same.”
Beverley made his debut just over 24 hours after the Bucks acquired him ahead of the NBA trade deadline, a move he said surprised but also excited him. The Bucks acquired Beverley from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Cameron Payne and a 2027 second-round pick.
Beverley, 35, was not only excited about the opportunity to play again for Rivers (his coach from 2017 to 2020 with the Clippers), but he was also excited about the opportunity to compete for a championship with Milwaukee.
“It's the only thing for me,” the 11-year veteran said. “The only thing left”.
From the moment Beverley arrived at Friday's game, with 2:28 left in the first quarter, the crowd in Milwaukee greeted him with a welcoming ovation, which grew even louder once he hit his first 3-pointer.
And the Bucks turned in one of their best defensive performances of the season against the short-handed Hornets, who had eight players listed as out on Friday's injury report, including the five players they acquired before the trade deadline.
Milwaukee held Charlotte to 84 points, the fewest allowed in a game since November 2019.
“He brought energy. He brought edge and experience,” Bucks guard Damian Lillard said. “There were times where he just directed some actions offensively…defensively in the pre-meeting, he knows who he is, he knows what he brings to a team and he's not shy about it. You heard his voice the moment you walked in. “
The Bucks believe Beverly can help improve their defense, which ranks 17th in the NBA in efficiency.
“He's an impactful defender at the point of attack,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst said Friday afternoon during a conference call with reporters. “He plays with a physicality and toughness that we believe will help us.”
The Bucks also believe Beverley's presence in the locker room will be a boost, especially with the added edge and intensity he brought to the team right away.
“He's just positive energy,” Rivers said. “He holds his teammates and himself accountable. He really just wants to win, and I think our guys see that.”
“I bet you already learned a little about him. It's not just nonsense. He's trying to get everyone to buy in and win.”
