Patrick Beverley already had fired warning shots that he was going to “be on Zach LaVine’s ass,’’ that he was currently playing his “best basketball,’’ and that, “there’s no telling what I might say.’’
And this was all before the point guard even stepped on the floor of the Advocate Center for a practice.
Welcome to the “Pat Bev Experience.’’
With the Bulls reconvening and having their first post-break workout Wednesday, they also got their first up-close-and-personal look at their newest teammate.
And in his first meeting with the media, he didn’t disappoint.
“There’s a vibe here,’’ Beverley said of his first day. “Billy [Donovan] is an energetic coach. He’s got a lot of [stuff]. When it comes to X’s and O’s he’s very detailed, got a lot of [stuff].’’
Now it will be up to Beverley to absorb all of it, with the former Marshall standout set to play against the Nets on Friday at the United Center. In what role? Donovan was unsure but did say that Beverley will play significant minutes.
What he doesn’t want the point guard to carry on his shoulders, however, was the idea that he somehow had to save the underachieving 26-33 Bulls.
“I don’t think that’s at all the message,’’ Donovan said. “I think Pat has a lot of confidence and belief in his ability to bring people with him. Inspire, motivate, whatever word you want to use. I’m not looking at him at all like that, where it’s, ‘Hey listen, we need this ramped-up energy, you need to do this and this for this group.’ We need him to be who he’s been. In talking to him he wants to make an impact in a positive way.’’
That meant wasting no time and getting on LaVine.
“I’ve seen a lot of shots he’s kind of hesitated, and I told him, ‘Your job is not to pass. We don’t need you to pass. Put the ball in the hole at an elite level,’ ’’ Beverley said. “That’s my job to keep preaching on that, harping on that. The ones that want to be great, they respond well to it.’’
Beverley listed off teammates he has challenged and who have responded, including Anthony Edwards, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard.
The guys who haven’t reacted well to him?
“The guys that don’t aren’t the greats,’’ Beverley said. “So I’m excited for that challenge. [LaVine] is also.’’
Well, is he?
“Pat doesn’t want me to pass the ball,’’ LaVine said with a chuckle. “I’m going to play my game either way, but Pat is going to be great for all of us. He holds people accountable from the best players on the team to the coaching staff to himself, all the way down to guys on two-way contracts. That’s what you want, and I think that’s what we needed.’’
With 23 regular-season games left and currently outside of a play-in spot and looking in, the Bulls definitely needed something.
“My voice is always the same,’’ Beverley said. “I echo the same thing, and it’s all about winning. I don’t echo, ‘Give me the ball.’ I don’t echo, ‘I want to do it my way.’ My echo has always been winning and impact winning at any level.
“The way I play, I run through a wall for any team I play on. Now it’s even more when it’s the city I’m from, so I don’t know what might happen. I might pull some [stuff] out that I never did before. I’m super excited, super stoked. Good energy, fresh energy.’’
