When the Philadelphia 76ers first signed Caleb Martin to a four-year, $35-million deal, the idea was that Philadelphia was getting a dog of a player. Martin, in turn, has wasted no time in finding someone who is also willing to put in the hard work in new teammate Tyrese Maxey.
On Monday, Martin had his first chance to play alongside Maxey against the New Zealand Breakers. While they haven’t spent much time on the court together yet, the young star has already made an impression on the Sixers’ new addition.
Martin had this to say about Maxey’s work ethic following the team’s Wednesday practice:
“He’s a dog. He’s consistent. He comes in every day. He works hard. I know he’s a young guy, but obviously, just signed a new contract a lot of guys could take that foot out of the gas. I feel like he’s probably put it on even more. He’s just dedicated the craft and [a] really good kid too. He’s just got a good head on his shoulders and knows exactly he wants. And you can tell he really wants to be great. So he’s infectious to the group. I’m excited to play with him.”
Since Tyrese Maxey entered the league, to paraphrase Martin, he has been a pedal-to-the-medal type of guy. As a rookie, the young Kentucky guard only averaged 8.0 points per night. Then, when Ben Simmons was out, he took another step forward, averaging 17.5 points per game. After that, an offseason spent learning from one of the great guards in NBA history, James Harden, he became a 20+ point-per-night scorer. He followed that stellar season by making the All-Star team, winning Most Improved Player, and increasing his average to over 25 points per game.
The Sixers rewarded his amazing play these past couple of seasons with a five-year, $203 million deal this summer. So far, at least according to Martin’s comments, Maxey still isn’t content. He has had the work ethic and the drive to become truly one of the greats every step of the way throughout his young career, and it appears he is showing no signs of slowing down. Equally important has been Maxey’s unwavering attitude as a player. In nearly every picture and video you see of Maxey, he’s all smiles. This leadership style, which Martin referred to as “infectious,” is vital to Maxey’s jump from a young guy with potential to becoming a veteran leader for this team.
Who knows what the future has planned for Tyrese Maxey? It seems like every year; people talk about how this is Maxey’s peak and every year, Maxey finds a way to take his game up another level. The constant drive and the constant improvement that he demonstrates are things that we see in all of the greats.
The 21st pick in the draft usually doesn’t result in a player this good, but it’s clear to everyone that he has a certain X factor that has helped him become the tremendous player he is today. Maxey appears to be well on his way to becoming the face of the Sixers for the next decade or so.
