Tyrese Maxey (Jeff Houchin Photo)
Philadelphia was delighted when former Kentucky guard Tyrese Maxey fell out of the NBA draft lottery to where the 76ers could take him with the 21st overall pick. Now that the season has started, the 76ers like what they have even more. In his first exhibition game he had eight points, three assists and one rebound in just 12 minutes after he got into the game. In the official NBA opener, Maxey had six points on 3-for-6 shooting, two rebounds and two assists in 13 minutes of play.
“He’s a good player,” Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said. “He’s gotta push for minutes because he is a good basketball player. He knows how to play. You can’t speed him up. He’s got a plethora of shots. He makes simple plays.
“I’m throwing this out to (Kentucky head coach John Calipari) … I’ve said this before, Kentucky guys come into the NBA prepared. This kid knows how to defend, he talks on defense.”
Philadelphia valued Maxey’s offensive potential more than some other teams did but also believed he was a solid defender.
All-Star Ben Simmons likes what he has seen from his new teammate.
“He dominated once he got the jitters and the excitement out of the way,” Simmons said. “I’ve seen him numerous hours doing those floaters and working on his game. To me, it’s not a surprise but it’s great to see all of that work pay off. He’s going to be great, offensively and defensively, once he learns concepts and things like that.”
Obviously Maxey still faces a lot of adjustments as any rookie would but he says he’s learned he can play his pace in the NBA.
“Ben told me, I don’t have to play too fast or too slow, I can play at my own pace,” Maxey said. “I think that was my biggest takeaway.”
