Patrick Beverley's opinion still carries a significant amount of weight even after his time as a true impact player in the National Basketball Association has long since passed. Beverley knows a thing or two about defense to say the very least, and he was also a streaky (and sneaky) good offensive player.
Recently, the sly point guard with a cult following on the Web shared his thoughts on the top five centers in the NBA. Beverley started with last season's regular season MVP, Nikola Jokic, in the number one position. Following the Nuggets big man was Joel Embiid at number two, the former MVP of the Philadelphia 76ers. Where Beverley stunned many viewers is when he named Ivica Zubac, the unheralded Clippers big man, number three on his list, calling him a personal friend.
Rounding out Pat Bev's list was Anthony Davis in the fourth position and Bam Adebayo in the fifth position. Patrick Beverley added further to the intrigue by stating that he does not believe the Spurs' Victor Wembanyama is a real center, a qualifying statement that surprised watchers at home and on their mobile phones.
The Beverley takes occurred as Shaquille O'Neal made his surprising attempt to derail the Wembanyama hype train, echoing Beverley's sentiments. Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade have also been in the news lately, this time as they decided to roast one of D-Wade's former team's jersey designs.
Beverley qualified his Victor Wembanyama statement with a crazy hype-job that few fans saw coming.
Patrick Beverley clarifies Victor Wembanyama choice
Patrick Beverley clarified his comments on Victor Wembanyama by saying that he considers the French and American citizen to be “everything” when it comes to what he can do on the basketball court.
Beverley, like many NBA fans, has noticed that he is like a more svelte, taller version of Joel Embiid who is more than capable of getting his own shot from just about anywhere on the court, especially once he starts getting close to the three-point line.
He also added that he believes Wembanyama will become the “best player in the NBA next year,” a stark admission from a player who isn't used to throwing around superlatives of that nature very often, if ever.
Now that Patrick Beverley has spoken, it will be up to Victor Wembanyama to live up to the hype. He's picked up his fair share of doubters in recent years, including Shaquille O'Neal, but he most certainly has the talent, bravado and drive to prove them all wrong, sooner rather than later.