Los Angeles Clippers: Patrick Beverley is a perfect Chris Paul replacement

Patrick Beverley is the perfect replacement for Chris Paul in L.A. even though his production will not be the same.

Any time that a franchise has to trade a superstar, it is a disappointment. That was the case for the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason when they were forced to move on from Chris Paul. Fortunately, Paul let the Clippers know of his intentions and Doc Rivers was able to make a deal with the Houston Rockets that brought back plenty of talent.

One of the pieces that the Clippers brought back was Patrick Beverley, who is projected to be the team’s starting point guard in the 2017-18 NBA season.

Paul has been the face of the Clippers’ franchise along with Blake Griffin for the last half-decade. He helped lead the Clippers to contention in the Western Conference, but decided that a fresh start would be in his best interest this offseason. Now, the Clippers will be starting a new point guard, and their options are Beverley, Milos Teodosic or Austin Rivers.

Needless to say, Beverley is the guy that should be with the starting unit when the season opens. Not only will he be a solid piece for the Clippers, he is the perfect replacement for Paul.

How can Beverley be the perfect replacement for a superstar point guard that helped power the franchise in recent years? Quite simply, he is a leader that leaves everything on the court every single night. He won’t replace Paul’s production, but he will help lead the franchise through the major loss.

Last season with the Rockets, Beverley started in all 67 games that he played during the regular season. He averaged 9.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Beverley shot 42.0 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 38.2 percent of his three-point attempts.

Those numbers don’t look impressive, but he also was not allowed to be a true point guard. James Harden dominated the ball and relegated Beverley to being a part-time ball-handler and a spot-up shooter, which is not the kind of game that Beverley thrives in.

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Looking ahead at the upcoming season with the Clippers, Beverley is ready to become much more of a point guard than he has been in recent years.

Offensively, Beverley is not going to make a major impact on the game. He will score around 10 points per game more than likely and will probably see his assist numbers rise with more control of the basketball. Where he will make a major difference for the Clippers is as a leader and perimeter defender.

Much has been made about Beverley’s tenacious defense, especially when it comes to his rivalry with Russell Westbrook. He has constantly frustrated the reigning NBA MVP and has never backed down from a challenge. That is the kind of attitude that the Clippers will need if they want to remain contenders in the West.

Paul was the heart and soul of the Clippers and was the leader both on and off-the-court. Beverley is ready to take that role over and will do so without hesitation. He has made it clear that he is not Paul, but also made it clear that Paul is not him.

"“I am not Chris Paul. Understand, he’s not me either. Don’t ever forget what got you into the door, and defense got me in.”"

Doc Rivers had good things to say about Beverley as well, which should excite Clippers’ fans.

"“I think most people see hard-working guys who are agitators on the floor and they don’t give them the basketball IQ part of it,” Rivers said. “But I’ve been most impressed with the IQ part of it, his knowledge. He does homework. He studies the league. I think a lot of people who don’t know these (types of) guys think they just show up and play hard. They don’t see the other part of it. He knows every guard (in the NBA). He knows every player. I’ve been really impressed with that.”"

All of that being said, Beverley is ready to take over the starting point guard job in L.A. He may not be Chris Paul, but as he said, Paul is not him either. The Clippers will see a tenacious point guard who is always looking to prove himself and it could very well be a breath of fresh air to have that kind of guy.

Next: The biggest winners and losers of 2017 NBA free agency

Do you think Patrick Beverley is a good replacement for Chris Paul? What are you expecting from him this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!