Patrick Beverley recently made quite the hot take through the Pat Bev podcast‘s X (Formerly Twitter) account. Sticking up for his new teammates, as he has done ever since he first joined the Philadelphia 76ers, he posted the following.
Advertisement
“Streets are talking”
The post shows his opinion that the duo of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey is better than that of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, despite all the hype the latter has received. And given the 76ers’ dominant start to the season, compared to the Bucks’ sloppy one at best, it is hard to disagree.
Their dominance may have even reached new heights recently, as Maxey saw a new career high in the 76ers’ most recent game. Facing off against the Indiana Pacers, Maxey racked up 50 points while shooting 62.5% from the field, and 63.6% from beyond the arc. As if that wasn’t enough, Joel Embiid poured some on himself, recording 37 points, and 13 rebounds, culminating in a 126-137 win.
It is clear that the Philadelphia 76ers duo is just getting started. And the fact that they are so dominant already may mean that their chances at winning a championship may be better than ever this season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard can’t stop struggling
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have played seven games together, out of the nine the Bucks have played. This was due to Lillard experiencing right calf soreness, which caused him to miss two games. Still, given that this duo has played together for a majority of the games, many would have expected their record to be in a good place. That has been far from the case. The franchise currently has a 5-4 record, just good enough for the eighth seed in a very competitive East.
Many have blamed new Bucks head coach, Adrian Griffin for the low number of Giannis-Dame pick-and-rolls used in the Bucks’ overall offense. However, their lackluster performances together could also be due to growing pains, and the duo learning to play together.
Admittedly, as things stand, it is hard to refute Patrick Beverley’s opinion. However, given enough time, the verdict of this debate likely won’t remain as clear-cut as it seems at the moment.
