Tyrese Maxey: Still Tippin’
Sports Editor Will Lyons pens a piece on the young Sixers star and former Kentucky Wildcat, Tyrese Maxey, as he makes his rise in the league and becomes a key player in Philadelphia.
If you closely follow the travel basketball circuit or college basketball you have been familiar with Tyrese Maxey for some time. If you are one of the hoop fans that only follows the NBA that’s ok too. The 6'3" guard out of the University of Kentucky is quickly becoming a household name.
Maxey was the 21st pick in the 2020 NBA draft and looking back that should be a criminal offense. There were some special players selected like Anthony Edwards, All-Star Lamelo Ball and Tyrese Haliburton. Then there were some big misses. Some of the players selected ahead of Maxey include Josh Green of the Dallas Mavericks, Aaron Nesmith of the Boston Celtics, and Washington Wizard Deni Avdija. While the verdict is out on the 2020 draft, Tyrese Maxey’s evolution would be seen as a leap by some when it is actually what he has been doing his entire young life.
An electric scorer that has a deadly first step, makes his bag of scoring moves even more deadly. Tyrese is a flat out bucket getter who is an improving shooter. This is a nightmare for opposing defenses since he was already a nightmare to stay in front of. Euro steps, spin moves, step backs and last but not least a reliable floater. Maxey gave 76er fans a glimpse of what he could do last season in more of a Lou Williams role.
Providing a scoring punch off the bench when called on lead to an emergence and regular rotation minutes. Maxey averaged 8.0 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 2 APG over 15 minutes per game. The numbers don’t tell the whole story as he put the league on notice with a 39 point, 7 reb, 6 ast performance. Quite the feat for the dynamic young rookie.
Fast forward to year two and the unfolding Ben Simmons drama. Maxey has made the most of every opportunity. He took on the lead guard role and has been a key contributor alongside MVP candidate Joel Embiid and a talented yet inconsistent supporting cast. Maxey is averaging career highs across the board with 17.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 4.5 APG. Philly had been winning some hard fought games but it was taking Herculean efforts from Embiid every single night. Then it finally happened, the 76ers acquired future Hall of Fame guard James Harden.
Acquiring a player of Harden’s caliber is significant even if he is 32 years old. The thing that swings this trade in Philly’s favor however is the fact that they kept defensive savant Mattise Thybulle and microwave scorer Tyrese Maxey. You add this to the eviction of disgruntled star Ben Simmons and it sweetens the deal that much more. Harden’s duality as an offensive engine unlocks Tyrese Maxey and takes some of the load off of Embiid in his second straight MVP caliber season.
Maxey can allow Harden to initiate the offense while he focuses on his greatest strength scoring the ball. These two guards can excel as a pair better than most because they are a threat whether they are on or off the ball.
It’s not a reach to say this is the most excitement Sixer fans have felt in a long time. Part of the credit is due to the offensive threat that competes every second Maxey is on the court. The former Nike Elite Youth Basketball League MVP and Kentucky Wildcat has cemented his place in Philly. The championship aspirations of the franchise rest on the big three of Maxey, Harden and Embiid.
