Where Does He Fit on Sixers?
Luckily Maxey fell into the Sixers laps, and Daryl Morey was able to add a guy who could develop into a core member of the team’s nucleus. The Sixers made major splashes this offseason adding an army of shooters led by Seth Curry and Danny Green. Despite the guard body that Maxey has, he moves off the ball with the intensity and determination of what it takes to be an elite NBA caliber floor spacer.
There are still question marks surrounding who will get the majority of the backup point guard minutes when Ben Simmons is not on the court. Maxey’s name is one that has been tossed into this discussion. He is not known for being a pass-first guy- as represented by the 3.2 assists per game that he tallied last year. However there is an extremely small sample size on this as Kentucky’s backcourt was crowded by Ashton Hagans and, Knicks’ first-round pick, Immanuel Quickley.
The clearest film of Maxey serving as the primary ball-handler came in a matchup against Florida last year. With Ashton Hagans suspended for the game and Immanuel Quickley fouling out with about 9 minutes remaining, Tyrese Maxey was forced to run the offense. Despite being down double digits for much of the game and the deficit reaching as much as 17, Kentucky climbed back into the game and came away with a 71-70 win. Maxey totaled 7 assists in this game and did a decent job with the offense. Despite looking out of control at times when trying to create his shot in this game (and totaling just 7 points on 11 shot attempts), Maxey looked comfortable with the ball and flashed the potential to run an offense in short bursts.
In a set offense, Maxey still needs to grow his ability to make reads. While he makes quick decisions and is decisive with the ball, Tyrese does not have the ability to make the advanced reads that you hope to see out of a primary ball-handler. However, in transition you see the potential that Maxey could develop into. With a more open floor ahead of him, Maxey seems must more comfortable and picks out passes in a far more confident way. He opens up lanes for guys with his dribble and moves defenders with his eyes in order to create shots for others. If this ability can be applied in the half-court it could change Maxey’s usage completely.
Maxey’s Ceiling
Tyrese Maxey is nowhere near a finished product. While he had moments where he took over games, he also scored under 10 points in 9 of 31 games last year. There are questions about his ability to create separation at the next level and improving his 3 point shooting is an absolute must.
But Maxey harnesses all the desire and hunger that you could hope for from an incoming rookie. In his media day, Maxey talked about how he has made 700-800 jumpers per day claimed that “I am a much better shooter than the numbers show.” He seems to love the game of basketball and also worked out with Ben Simmons and LeBron James, whom he referred to as “mentors,” prior to the draft. There are no mechanical issues with Maxey’s stroke and if he can knock down shots at a decent rate he will continue to see his minutes grow this year.
The Sixers have done a great job putting a proper team around Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons this offseason and Maxey is another example of this. Given the limited college season last year, the absence of summer league, and unique training camp for this year- expectations should be tempered for Maxey this season. If he can be a reliable bench player who provides a scoring pop and plays above-average defense this year it should be looked at as a success. However a few years down the line the hope should be for Maxey to grow into more than a complimentary bench piece. He does not take off a play and will be a player that Philly falls in love with. Don’t be surprised if Maxey ends up being the legitimate 3rd option that the Sixers have been in search of.
Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire
