The end of the season often brings reflection. But for former LA Clippers guard Patrick Beverley, it brought frustration. Hours after the Golden State Warriors eliminated the Clippers in the Play-in tournament, Beverley revisited the franchise’s past decisions. He argued that the franchise abandoned the winning locker room identity for star power, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. A shift that he believes set the team on a downward path that still lingers today.

Pat Bev’s remarks highlighted the dismantling of the gritty core that defined the Clippers before the arrival of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Between the 2017-18 and 2020-21 seasons, the Clippers leaned heavily on chemistry, depth, and defensive intensity led by Beverley, Lou Williams, and Montrezl Harrell. The immediate shift occurred in the 2019 offseason when PG and Klaw trade brought in championship aspirations. The roster soon began to take shape around them. It was something that Beverley pointed out in his strongly worded post.

“They didn’t sign Trez (Montrezl Harrell) back(the current 6th man), bring in Luke Kennard, paid him before he even played a game, and paid him more than @TeamLou23, then traded Lou Will, ” wrote Patrick Beverley via his X handle.

“Don’t sign 94 back on a team-friendly deal. All down hill from there. They lost the Culture and have been looking for it since then.”

The statement referenced the departure of Harell in 2019-20, the same season when he produced a career high 18.6 ppg. The center’s exit was timed at the subsequent arrival of Luke Kennard, for whom the team offered a long-term, lucrative deal: 4 years/$64 million, soon after he arrived.

Beverley’s criticism centered on the belief that the team allowed the established contributors to leave while prioritizing the newer addition financially. Notably, Lou Williams, who had consistently driven the Clippers’ offense, was only offered a 3-year, $24 million contract.

Beverley then turned his attention toward his own exit after the 2020-21 season and broader fallout that followed. He argued that the removal of multiple locker room leaders dismantled the identity that once held the group together. Speaking of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, he added, “Loyalty was to K and PG, which is understandable, but culture and locker room wins games also.” His remarks emphasized that chemistry and accountability in the locker room remained as vital as talent on the floor.

He further concluded with a warning tone, “Now this puts them behind 3-5 years at least.” He implied that the franchise compromised the team’s long-term direction once it broke the original core. But how accurate is Patrick Beverley about his analysis of the Clippers’ fall?

Was Pat Bev right about the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era?

Patrick Beverley isn’t entirely wrong, but the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era represents a mixed picture rather than a collapse. Across five seasons with the Clippers, the duo appeared together only in 181 games. The injuries constantly disrupted their continuity.

Their peak came in 2021, when they reached the Western Conference Finals before falling to the Phoenix Suns. Things could have been different if Leonard hadn’t been injured that season. However, recurring injuries following that prevented the franchise from having a sustained championship push.

At the same time, Patrick Beverley’s nostalgia about his core team also has its limits. The group had resilience and effort, but the postseason ceiling had its limits. Their most successful playoff run came in 2019, when they forced a Game 6 against the Warriors in the first round. While it showed the team’s identity, it also exposed the lack of star power.

Beverley’s warning about a long-term setback remains relevant. With Paul George and James Harden leaving the franchise in back-to-back seasons and Kawhi Leonard entering the final stretch of his contract, the Clippers face uncertainty. Stability, more than culture and star power, will determine how quickly they will recover.