When Patrick Beverley signed with the Philadelphia 76ers this summer, there were questions about what Beverley had left in the tank and whether could he contribute on the court. Since the start of training camp, nothing but positive things have come about how Beverley plays and how the team views him in the locker room.
Affectionally known as Pat Bev, he has allowed the fans to get a closer look into this life and experiences as a Sixers through his Pat Bev Pod that he hosts with Philadelphia’s Adam “Rone” Ferrone. Beverley is only averaging 4.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, but he brings much more to the Sixers than meets the eye and is continuing to prove that he was made for Philadelphia.
Built Philly Tough
Before last season, the 76ers didn’t have many players that many believe had that “toughness” needed to win in the playoffs. The Sixers went out and signed PJ Tucker who gave them a boost on defense and brought some toughness to the squad.
This summer, they signed Beverley to increase the presence of toughness. Now that Tucker has been traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, the squad will count on Pat Bev as one of the vets who will be playing that role going forward.
A lot of Beverley’s toughness comes from his time overseas before making it to the NBA and his having to carve out a role when getting to the NBA. He often takes the best perimeter offensive player and doesn’t back down from anyone. He has provided pressure on the ball and given hard fouls when needed. When teams try to focus on intimidating Tyrese Maxey, expect his vet, Pat Bev to have his back in all situations.
Philadelphia loves athletes who rep the toughness of the city. Players like Brian Dawkins, Bobby Clark, Dr. J, Hal Greer, Billy Cunningham, Chuck Bednarik, Bobby Jones, and Jason Kelce — you could go on and on — easily steal the heart of the city. Pat Bev has that same heart as those Philly greats.
Unrelenting Intangibles
Pat Bev hasn’t had the best start offensively for the Sixers, although his performance against the Celtics was an impressive outlier, but he wasn’t signed for his offensive reputation. He was signed for his defense and the intangibles he brings on the court.
Beverley is still one of the better perimeter defenders in the league, holding opponents to only shooting 29.2 percent on shots over 15 feet. He also provides full-court pressure and still can disrupt the rhythm of some of the better offensive players in the league.
Another intangible that Beverley provides is timely offensive rebounds. During the team’s first 16 games, he has gotten some timely offensive rebounds when the team needed it the most. Some come on missed free throw attempts, others come when he goes up amongst the trees during a normal possession. Giving his team extra possessions and the ability to influence the game in other ways besides scoring shows how valuable he can be.
A True Leader of Men
Beverley has also brought some leadership to the 76ers, something that this team continues to need from veteran players. His experience playing on different teams and with different star players makes him a unique player who fits with this team.
A passionate leader, Beverley has certainly caught the attention of head coach Nick Nurse, who praised both Pat Bev’s and Marcus Morris Sr.’s leadership abilities after the Sixers’ blowout win over the Lakers on Nov. 27 saying,
“Those two guys especially, not only out there on the court tonight gave us a lift, but they’ve been a great lift for about the last five or six days. They’ve really shown some veteran presence in practice, film… pushing everybody to get really focused down and locked in and stuff.”
Pat Bev has spoken highly of Sixers’ rising star Tyrese Maxey and challenges him to be great every day. He also talked during his podcast about pushing Joel Embiid to do more conditioning in front of the team, showing that the reigning MVP is as hungry for winning as the other players.
The veteran guard is a great mentor for players like Jaden Springer. Springer is a young guard trying to find a way to get on the floor and has done so this year with his defense and athletic ability. You can see Pat Bev coaching up Springer and giving him the confidence he needs to keep playing well.
He isn’t someone who stuffs the stat sheet every night but Pat Bev shows how valuable he can be for a winning team. His intensity and intangibles will win the Sixers a couple of games this season and more importantly, his winning ways will rub off on the rest of the team, something they need around their two stars.
His typical lack of box stats has him often overlooked, but his game goes far beyond that. The Sixers, the whole city of Philadelphia even, have needed a Pat Bev-type, and there’s no substitute for the real thing.
Pat Bev is continuing to prove that he was built for Philly and the city has welcomed in as one of their own.
