Despite his limited playing time for the Philadelphia 76ers, rookie guard Tyrese Maxey has shown flashes of brilliance. This has prompted some talk about an increased role for the newcomer, something that Sixers coach Doc Rivers recently addressed.
Rivers acknowledged Maxey's potential but also expressed how the 20-year-old will still need to wait a bit before he sees an increase in playing time (via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer).
“You pick your rotation. Maxey is right on the edge of that right now. Hopefully by the end of the year, he’s in it, because I believe in him. I think he’s going to be a terrific player. But again, you just can’t play everybody.”
The Sixers have an absolute logjam at the two-guard spot right now with Maxey, Seth Curry, Shake Milton, Matisse Thybulle, Terrance Ferguson, Furkan Korkmaz, Isaiah Joe, all listed as shooting guards. As it is, Curry has been starting alongside Ben Simmons in the Sixers backcourt, with Milton playing the Sixth Man role for the team.
In 24 games played so far this season, Maxey is averaging 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. He's managed this modest output in just 17.7 minutes per outing. Just for added perspective, that translates to 18.3 points per 36 minutes. This projection alone is enough to prove that Tyrese Maxey could serve as another reliable source of offense for the Sixers if given the opportunity—something that might just come to him towards the tail end of the season.
After all, he has proven he can play with the best of them when the Sixers were ravaged by COVID-19 protocols last month, even exploding for a career-high 39 points against the Denver Nuggets.
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