A newfound emphasis on ball and player movement under first-year coach Nick Nurse helped drive the Philadelphia 76ers toward top-tier title contention before Joel Embiid tore his meniscus. The stagnant offense that defined the Sixers last season season left Philadelphia with Doc Rivers and James Harden, propelling Embiid to truly historic heights and Tyrese Maxey toward full-fledged stardom.

Patrick Beverley had a front-row seat to that offensive evolution, playing 47 games for the Sixers before being sent to the Milwaukee Bucks at the trade deadline. Milwaukee hasn't exactly thrived since then, at 2-2 with Beverley in the fold heading into the All-Star break following Thursday's ugly loss to the decimated Memphis Grizzlies.

At least the Bucks' new struggles predate Beverley's arrival. Milwaukee is just 3-7 since swapping rookie head coach Adrian Griffin on the sidelines for Rivers, the team's once-elite offense sinking to 22nd in the league over that timeframe, per NBA.com/stats.

On the most recent episode of the Pat Bev Podcast, Beverley recalled a recent conversation he had with former Sixers teammate Tobias Harris on the biggest difference between Philadelphia and Milwaukee.

“Everybody wants to win. Everybody wants to win. Everybody wants to win,” he said. “It's not about stats. It's not about numbers here. It's not about who gets the ball. Everybody here wants to win.”

Is Patrick Beverley taking a dig at Embiid and Maxey? Maybe he's just propping up his current team during its time of need? Or is there misperception from either the inside or outside of the Sixers' offensive shift in 2023-24?

Either way, expect Philadelphia players and fans to remember Beverley's critique should the Sixers and Bucks meet in the playoffs—hopefully with Embiid healthy.