With Daryl Morey leading the charge, you knew the Sixers were bound to have a good draft night. The 2020 NBA draft didn’t have very much “star” talent as we all know, but somehow with pick 21, the Philadelphia 76ers may have gotten the steal of the draft.

Introducing Kentucky Freshman Tyrese Maxey.

While many Sixers fans were begging for a shooter, I don’t think anyone anticipated Maxey falling to them either. That’s the point. You don’t pass up on that much talent. There’s countless examples of the Sixers doing this in the past. Michael Porter Jr. is a name that comes to mind.

Tyrese Maxey will end up being yet another guard coming out of Kentucky, who exceeds expectations in the NBA. Maxey is a talented two-way combo guard who has a nice handle, good athleticism, and a knack to finish at the rim. Tyrese brings an on-ball presence that the Sixers haven’t had since Jimmy Butler.

While his jump shot is far from a concern, he did only shoot 29% from three in his lone freshman year. However, many believe that isn’t a proper judgement of his shooting ability.

• 83.3 FT% in 2019
• Averaged 19 PPG against top 25 teams
• 40% 3PT FG against Top 25 teams
• 28.6% of shots occurred at the rim

Maxey’s high free throw percentage is a very good indicator of his shot. Many scouts like to use that when projecting if a prospect’s shot will translate to the NBA. Maxey’s overall scoring and shooting against top 25 teams in college are also very encouraging signs. Maxey applies a lot of pressure on the rim which is a trait that was especially lacking from Sixers guards last season.

Philadelphia fans should quickly fall in love with Tyrese Maxey. We have been clamoring for a scoring and shot creating guard and he has finally arrived. It also doesn’t get anymore poetic than the fact that Maxey was wearing a t-shirt that said “Fall In Love With The Process”.

Arguably Maxey’s best quality is his character and work ethic. He was willing to sacrifice a lot to help Kentucky achieve its goals this past season. At the NBA level, he should flourish and truly unlock his potential. In fact, Maxey has been very active, as he has been training with guys of the likes of Ben Simmons, Lebron James, and Rajon Rondo.

 “A lot of different people have given me advice. The most advice, I would say, has come from [Rajon] Rondo, LeBron, Ben. They gave me similar advice: ‘Stay the way you are. Don’t let anybody change your grind. You grind.’ They say I’m probably one of the hardest workers they’ve ever seen, so ‘don’t let the success slow down your grind. Make it motivate you.’”

Tyrese Maxey Interview with Callie Caplan (DallasNews.com)

Maxey has been able to pick the mind of many NBA greats. This should do wonders for a young 20 year old combo guard and adds to the true value the Sixers got at pick 21. Maxey also appears to have a good relationship with Sixers all star Ben Simmons.

Maxey is in very good company and has been training with the best of the best for several years now. He’s one of the most NBA ready guys in this draft and is only 20 years old. Many believe he is nowhere near his potential yet either. His size and athleticism should be a factor right away on both ends of the court.

Luckily for Maxey, he is coming into a really ideal situation in Philly. The Sixers already have the star talent and a tremendous coaching staff. Maxey just needs to slide right in and do what he does best: score the ball.

Mandatory Credit: A Sea of Blue

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