Patrick Beverley makes craziest case in history for Hall of Fame candidacy

The Houston Rockets are well represented in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Hakeem Olajuwon. Moses Malone. Calvin Murphy. Yao Ming. One day, James Harden will join that illustrious group. There has been no shortage of Rockets to earn a place in those hallowed halls.

It's a lofty bar. The Hall of Fame recognizes the best players to ever play the sport. Some have suggested that their criteria is too loose. Perhaps the Hall could raise their own standard, but it still holds that being inducted means that at one time, you were one of the best players in the world.

One former Rocket thinks he's worthy of that distinction.

Try not to laugh.

Former Rockets guard thinks he belongs in the Hall of Fame

Patrick Beverley.

The name doesn't quite hold the same gravity, does it?

During his (presumably, but not certainly over) NBA career, Beverley averaged 8.3 points and 4.3 assists per game. His best scoring season came in 2017-18, when he averaged 12.2 points per game for the Clippers.

That's not to disparage Beverley. He's one of the best backcourt defenders the league has ever seen. Beverley could lock up star players at the point of attack in his prime.

He was good. A fringe starter, but not a Hall of Famer. Beverley was never a polished enough offensive player to earn substantial usage.

That makes the player he's comparing himself to make his case particularly confusing.

Former Rockets guard makes wild comparison

Beverley says that if Blake Griffin belongs in the Hall, so does he.

"People talk about Blake Griffin being in the Hall of Fame, and I’m looking like, how? No discredit to Blake Griffin, but I’m looking like, how? I took the Clippers to the Western Conference Finals for the first time ever. Like, if I would’ve dunked more, does that mean I would’ve made the Hall of Fame?”

-Patrick Beverley

Hmm. Well, Patrick, it might have helped. A guy with 6 career dunks is going to struggle to generate enough offense for the Hall of Fame.

By contrast, Griffin was a primary option for over a decade. With the Clippers, he leveraged his athleticism to finish pick-and-rolls in high volume and score in transition. In Detroit, he polished his craft. Griffin's ball-handling and passing developed to a point where he resembled a point forward.

All told, he averaged 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 13 seasons. Some might argue that Griffin would be an example of the Hall of Fame being too lenient. That's debatable, but he's certainly earned a place before Beverley.

He won't be representing the Rockets there anytime soon.