Patrick Beverley has a lot of playoff experience, and he shared some of his tips with his Timberwolves colleagues.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are in the playoffs for only the second time since reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2004.
Right now, it’s just the play-in games, but on Tuesday night, they’ll host the Los Angeles Clippers, and Target Center will be packed.
Patrick Beverley played four seasons with the Clippers before being acquired by Minnesota in the offseason, so he knows the opposition well.
The well-known agitator has given the Timberwolves an edge they didn’t have this season, and he has 59 playoff games under his belt.
Aside from Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Taurean Prince, and Greg Monroe, the rest of the young roster has little or no playoff experience.
Without doing the math, Beverley has at least as much playoff experience as the rest of the team combined.
Players have pre-game rituals, which can be tweaked depending on their level of superstition. It’s not a good idea to break out of established patterns, even if it’s playoff time.
Patrick Beverley gave his Timberwolves teammates some sound advice
Beverley provided his postseason advice to his teammates via Timberwolves writer and podcaster Dane Moore on Monday afternoon.
Patrick Beverley on the advice he gave his teammates about the playoffs “My biggest thing I told the guys, just don’t change anything. If you like to go to movies before a game, stay with your routine. If you like to drink a couple beers before the game, stay with your routine.”
Although the remark “if you want to consume a couple beers before the game” catches the eye, Beverley’s message is clear.Keep doing what you’re doing, assuming it’s working for you, and don’t give a damn about the fact that it’s playoff time.
Because it’s the playoffs, changing a long-standing pre-game routine (as long as it works) invites a shift in mindset, which induces anxiety and reluctance before the game begins.
There has been a lot of experience with Beverley at this point in the season, but he knows that his leadership and advice for younger players is even more important now.
