Patrick Beverley's First-Team All-NBA Shit Talking Reached New Heights After The Suns' Game 7 Meltdown

Christian Petersen. Getty Images.

Criticize Patrick Beverley all you want for his lackluster offensive game, his potentially overrated status as a lockdown defender and dubious resume in terms of winning at the NBA level, but when it comes to talking trash, this dude does. Not. Miss. Even if you disagree with his scorched-earth takes, you can't help but admire the audacity.

It's no secret PatBev is one of the most transparent, outspoken and unafraid orators when it comes to sharing his thoughts on the current state of the NBA. Once the Phoenix Suns got obliterated 123-90 by the Dallas Mavericks in Sunday's Game 7, the gloves were officially off when he appeared on Monday's programming at the four-letter network and went AFTER Chris Paul:

And for a more expanded clip, Beverley opined that CP3's playoff collapse should get the same treatment as Ben Simmons' awful showing last year, or when folks were poking fun at Paul "Pandemic P" George.

Beverley famously shoved Paul in last year's Western Conference Finals in what appeared to be a cheap shot. However, I think we all know by now that the basketball artist known as Point God is a dirty-ass player who eggs on opponents in the most irritating of ways. Just ask DeMarcus Cousins.

Perhaps the biggest, most telling shot at Paul came when, prior to all this slander on the tele, the Timberwolves guard implied that some sort of injury to the aging 37-year-old vet would be reported in the aftermath of Game 7's debacle in the desert.

…And it came to pass.

In Paul's defense, there's no question he played much worse in the final four contests of the series against Dallas. That said, maybe Beverley is, in fact, on to something here. ESPN's Matt Barnes came to CP3's defense, saying Beverley was being a clown for calling out someone who's a far superior player to him — which is fair.

Advertisement

But PatBev's criticism wasn't confined only to Chris Paul. It extended to the Suns as a team. Despite Phoenix's 64-win regular season on the heels of their run to the 2021 NBA Finals, Beverley contended that no one in the entire NBA fears them:

There's something to be said for the difference between regular-season basketball and what goes down in the playoffs. Another all-NBA shit talker Draymond Green touched on this during this very postseason. Some guys shrink when all the chips are down, and some thrive.

We've seen time and again, teams that Paul has been the leader of, fold like a cheap suit when it matters most. I'm not laying all the blame before him, but CP3 has also struggled to stay healthy. The guy can't catch a break when it comes to untimely injuries. Maybe the basketball gods just frown upon him for some of the bullshit he does on the court that makes Beverley and plenty others despise him. Paul was instrumental in setting up the play-in bubble and is by so many accounts a stand-up dude and a consummate professional. His teams win wherever he goes, too…well, at least in the regular season.

I agree with Barnes to some degree that Beverley doesn't have much room to talk, coming after a future Hall of Famer this strong. Again, though, for the, "YEAH BUT DID YOU EVER PLAY IN THE LEEEEEEEEEEEAGUE!?!?!!" crowd, Beverley is a far more credible witness/analyst than anyone who hasn't played a second in the NBA. And, like, he isn't wrong about CP3 or the Suns!