The new-look L.A. Clippers have quickly risen the ranks as one of the top teams in the league through the first few games of the season. Many have already pegged them as being the favorites to win the 2020 NBA title behind their deep and talented roster. Veteran point guard Patrick Beverley is all aboard with the chatter that has foreseeably led to trash talk to Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry, who had an interesting response.

Clippers’ huge offseason

The summer of 2019 saw plenty of movement around the league, but none was more significant than what the Clippers had added to their already strong core group.

It saw them acquire two of the league’s best two-way talents in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to head the charge for the next several years. Leonard, who has established himself as arguably the best player in the league, made the expected leap to Los Angeles that was cemented after the team landed George.

It has elevated the Clippers to territory that they haven’t been in quite some time with much excitement around the team’s future, which has been strongly voiced by Beverley. He has enthusiastically told the rest of the league about what he believes lies ahead of the Clippers with their two All-Stars leading the charge.

All of that didn’t take long for him to make a strong proclamation to the Warriors’ two-time league MVP last week.

Patrick Beverley’s message to Stephen Curry

Over the last five years, the Warriors have been the toast of the NBA, reaching five straight NBA Finals while winning three titles over that span.

However, Golden State has undergone many changes to their roster, leading to many putting them outside being a championship-caliber team while inserting L.A. into their place. During the lopsided win over the Warriors, Beverley made it clear where he believes things now stand in the NBA, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com.

“You had the last five years,” Beverley told Curry, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. “The next five years are mine.”

Curry laughed and replied: “Aren’t you 31?”

Curry certainly has a point about Beverley’s age, but the Clippers are currently in a much better position at this point in time. The Warriors are adjusting to the loss of Kevin Durant, along with Klay Thompson being potentially out for the entire season. The team also saw many staples on their bench depart, as well as Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and Quinn Cook.

As much of Curry chuckled off this trash talk from Beverley, the Clippers are in a promising spot that could see them atop the league for the next handful of years. L.A. has already begun to show that on the court, even George still being on the mend.

Clippers off to strong start

Sans a porous performance against the Phoenix Suns, the Clippers have gotten out to a strong start to the year despite George still being sidelined.

Leonard has quickly meshed with his new team taking up the mantle as their leading scoring option while helping set the tone with his play defensively. The Clippers’ balance across the board has been evident from the get-go behind possessing arguably the best bench in the league.

L.A. is clearly working toward building that all-important chemistry on the court that they haven’t had the chance to do in a significant capacity given their limited action playing together. Things will need to be adjusted once again when George comes back as the flow of the offense and defense will be altered.

Nonetheless, there is plenty for the Clippers to be excited about this season and potentially well beyond that.