The Milwaukee Bucks have taken a massive step back on defense this season but made a move to fix that by trading for Patrick Beverley.
Milwaukee’s defensive identity changed considerably after trading away Jrue Holiday to land Damian Lillard. That hurt their chances to contend for a title, though adding Beverley at the NBA trade deadline could turn that around.
Beverley isn’t the player that he once was back when he earned NBA All-Defensive honors and would occasionally receive votes for Defensive Player of the Year.
He has shown significant offensive regression and is shooting a career-worst on 3-pointers. While he isn’t as appealing as someone like Kris Dunn, who was reportedly an option, Beverley didn’t come at a very high cost for the Bucks.
Fortunately for Milwaukee, though, his impact as a defender is still very real and the metrics prove as much. His defensive estimated plus-minus (d-EPM) ranks in the 83rd percentile, per dunksandthrees.com.
Beverley still regularly guards the best players on the other team with a high degree of success. He has significant playoff experience and isn’t scared of a big moment.
Milwaukee needed someone like Beverley for the postseason and he can add legitimate value as a presence on the defensive end of the floor.
