Pat Beverley Praises Russell Westbrook as Heartbeat of Lakers, Rips 'Westbrick' Name

Patrick Beverley isn't a fan of the criticism that has been thrown towards Russell Westbrook.

Beverley appeared on the Gil's Arena podcast and spoke about his tenure with Westbrook and the Los Angeles Lakers. He said that Westbrook coming off of the bench was not the most effective strategy for the team.

"I thought it was bad for Russ," Beverley said. "He was the heartbeat of the team."

Beverley continued by saying that the best starting lineup for the team would have featured Westbrook, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Anthony Davis and himself. He also said that the nickname "Westbrick" makes zero sense given Westbrook's significant success in the league.

"It's the craziest thing in the world," Beverley said. "The man has broke every (expletive) record. He shot 40 percent from three and people are calling him 'Westbrick'. How?"

He also said that while the criticism can be unfair, having success in the NBA does open someone up to critique, whether warranted or not.

"In this world you get out what you put in," Beverley said. "If he didn't have his triple-double Russ phase, they wouldn't critique him as much."

Beverley played 45 games for the Lakers in 2022-23, averaging 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He did start every game he played for the team while Westbrook only started three of 52 games.

Westbrook was productive off of the bench, averaging 15.9 points and 7.5 assists, but was waived by the team and eventually hooked on with the cross-town Los Angeles Clippers. He re-signed with the Clippers this offseason.