Programming note: Watch the pregame edition of Warriors Outsiders on Wednesday night at 6, streaming live on the MyTeams app.
Patrick Beverley is an irritant. Patrick Beverley is a pest. Patrick Beverley is a great defender. Patrick Beverley talks a lot of trash.
Has there ever been a time in which the Clippers' guard was dishing out a lot of smack and it led to him getting torched?
The two-time All-Defensive selection didn't really answer the question, but did provide a very interesting response.
"I ain't gonna come at nobody and I know he's a hitter," Beverley explained on the "Knuckleheads" podcast with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles. "Ain't no need to talk to him. I know what he brings. I'm locked in. I'm watching him.
"I ain't gonna go out there and talk trash to Steph Curry -- Steph Curry gets 30 shots a game. Some people you pick your battles with. Steph Curry see me (not talking) and then he's like, 'Oh, what's up with Pat? Oh, he locked in.'
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"So it's just different approaches with people."
Hahahahaha at Pat Beverley being sensitive to Steph Curry flexing after he gets the offensive rebound pic.twitter.com/OVudbh2q5J— Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) December 24, 2018
Beverley was then asked to list some of the toughest players to guard.
"Dame (Damian Lillard), he's up there. He's tough," Beverley said. "He's cold within the offense they run, too. He's got the ball but everything ain't for him. You put Dame in Golden State or put Dame in a Houston Rockets type of offense ... I think we're only getting a little bit of a taste.
"Kemba (Walker). Gotta put Russ (Russell Westbrook) up there because you don't know what you're gonna get from Russ. He can go cold for five games and then you play him and he hit five threes.
"I'd put them three for sure."
Hmmmmmmm. So Beverley doesn't talk trash to Curry because he knows the two-time NBA MVP is a "heavy hitter," but he doesn't think he's one of three toughest players to defend?
Also, when it comes to field goal attempts this season:
-Kemba Walker (Hornets) = 20.5
-Russell Westbrook (Thunder) = 20.2
-Steph Curry = 19.4
-Damian Lillard (Blazers) = 19.2
Is it possible that Beverley heard what Curry said before the Warriors-Clippers series started so he felt compelled to respond like this?
"Just play basketball. That's what we're out on the court to do," Curry said when asked about dealing with Beverley. "Antics and all that type of stuff -- likely to happen. Nothing distracts me from playing basketball.
"Historically speaking, it hasn't worked."
That is correct.
[RELATED: Steph Curry unconcerned with Patrick Beverley's antics: 'Hasn't worked']
Beverley has mainly guarded Kevin Durant so we haven't seen him and Curry battle it out much.
Perhaps that changes in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
