Damian Lillard has always been a real one, someone who isn’t afraid to call it what he sees it. Lillard isn’t holding back on social media, although he recently had a moment with himself on the website. But he was back in shape when he called Patrick Beverley to eviscerate Chris Paul on ESPN after Phoenix lost in Game 7 to the Dallas Mavericks.
Beverley compared Chris Paul to a cone in defense, saying no one in the NBA is afraid of Chris Paul. This sparked reaction from a few players and analysts, Lillard himself among them. And when Beverley started being clowned around for not being a good enough player to criticize Paul, a fan came forward with his stats, saying they were decent. But Lillard also had an answer to this:
Atomic: “Ngl, his stats aren’t bad.”
Damian Lillard: “Because no one is keeping this man.”
Beverley is a player who has often earned scorn for talking too much without having the game to back it up. The Timberwolves have improved a lot since they got him, so this season Bev had something to celebrate. In any case, his Chris Paul tirade seemed to be partly based on personal bias, but he also made some decent points.
Lillard’s shot on Beverley isn’t entirely wrong either and the two have no beef to explain it, but it’s true that when it comes to the offensive end of the floor, no one don’t take Beverley too seriously. He cut his teeth in the NBA at the other end of the court and that’s about it.