Patrick Beverley responded to Trae Young's YouTube video directed at the former NBA player, saying, "If any other all-star were to say something, I would've let it slide. But you, you out of all people, you have no room to say anything."
True to his reputation, Beverley has not held back in his strange beef with Young. In response to a tweet from Young, the three-time All-Defensive Team recipient claimed Young was not a winning player on his podcast for on and off-court reasons. Beverley even alluded to the idea that he was a more valuable player, despite limited measurable success himself.
Young responded with a calm roast of Beverley in a 12-minute YouTube video, ending the video by sharing how excited he is to play with such a talented roster this year. Beverley's reply, however, contained the ultimate low-blow in sports, calling Young a "coach-killer" who gets his teammates traded.
He said, "Players come, they see you, they get traded. Coaches come, they coach you, they get traded. GMs come, they govern the team, and then they get fired. Everyone that sees Trey Young gets fired. That's the truth." He ended his rant with "People are scared to play in Atlanta."
This claim is false, but it stems from a common narrative that has followed Young throughout his career. He isn't a player, coach, or GM killer - he hasn't had the proper supporting cast throughout his career. Players got traded but did not perform better after they left. Coaches and GMs were fired but were not hired by other NBA teams.
Pat Bev's excellent NBA supporting cast blinds him to Young's struggle
Beverley played the bulk of his career for the Rockets and Clippers, two teams that were equipped with real star power, shrewd head coaches, and aggressive front offices. Young has played in Atlanta, which has been marred by nepotism in the most crucial of decisions (subscription required).
Young's best co-star is Jalen Johnson, who has played just 92 games since breaking out as a star. His other "co-stars" include John Collins and Dejounte Murray. Collins is a solid starting power forward, but his star potential didn't develop in Atlanta or Utah.
Murray is a player who thrives when he is the primary star of the team, but in his most successful season he led the Spurs to just the 10th seed. He's an excellent player, but he's also the caliber of the third-best player on a team with playoff hopes. The Hawks had serious holes in their roster in this era, none of which included Trae Young.
Young currently also has the best coach of his career, Quin Snyder. Snyder led the Jazz to the top seed in the West without top-tier talent and deliberately chose Atlanta as his destination. With Snyder and the improved roster, Young has the best chance of his career to silence critics like Beverley this season.
Young's other two coaches were Nate McMillan, who is currently an assistant for the Lakers, and Lloyd Pierce, who is an assistant in Indiana. Beverley's "coach-killer" label is a misrepresentation of two coaches whose successors immediately showed improved performance. With Snyder, the Hawks have an elite coach to properly integrate Young's talents with his teammates.
Beverley took a low-blow at Young, defaulting to the cheap, low-effort criticism that has hung over Young's career due to outside circumstances. While Young has not achieved the success people had hoped early in his career, he turns 27 tomorrow, officially entering the standard NBA prime years.
There is no reason to be out on Trae Young.