Patrick Beverley reveals playoff advice he gave Timberwolves teammates

Patrick Beverley has plenty of playoff experience, and he revealed the advice he gave his Timberwolves teammates.

For just the second time since a run to the Western Conference Finals in 2004, the Minnesota Timberwolves are in the playoffs. It’s just the play-in games right now, but they’ll host the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night and Target Center will be rocking.

Patrick Beverley spent four seasons with the Clippers before being acquired by Minnesota last offseason, so he has some inside knowledge of the opponent. The well-known agitator has added an edge the Timberwolves did not have this year, and he has 59 games of playoff experience in his career.

On the rest of the young roster playoff experience is lacking, or essentially non-existent beyond Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Taurean Prince and Greg Monroe. Without doing the exact math, Beverley surely has close to as much or more playoff experience as everyone else combined.

Players have pre-game routines, which can be subject to adjustment depending on how superstitious they are. Moving off those routines is not advisable, even at playoff time.

Patrick Beverley revealed wise advice he gave to his Timberwolves teammates

On Monday afternoon, via Timberwolves writer and podcaster Dane Moore, Beverley revealed the playoff advice he gave to his teammates.

"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.”"

The “if you like to drink a couple beers before the game” comment is attention-getting, but Beverley’s message still shines through. Stay with your routine, whatever it is and assuming it works for you, and pay no significant mind to it being the playoffs now.

Changing a long-running pre-game routine (again, as long as it works) because it’s the playoffs invites a change in mindset, which invites nerves and hesitation when the game starts. Beverley has been a veteran leader all season, and he clearly knows his leadership and guidance for young teammates is even more important right now.