The Philadelphia 76ers landed Kentucky guard Tyrese Maxey with the No. 21 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. There were several folks who pegged Maxey as a draft night steal, but others completely whiffed on Maxey's projection. Plus, even some of the more optimistic draft analysts failed to dream big enough.
In three NBA seasons, Maxey has emerged as a full-time starter and the foundation of Philadelphia's remaining title hopes. Joel Embiid is the center of the universe in Philadelphia, but Maxey is knocking on the door to stardom at a critical juncture in franchise history. If the Sixers have any path to winning a title with the current group, it will involve a heavy dose of Maxey.
Maxey shot poorly in college, but many expected his percentages to improve in the big leagues. He averaged 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists on .427/.291/.833 splits in one season with the Wildcats. He was billed as a potential lottery pick, but he ultimately fell due to one concern or another.
Hindsight illuminates the foolishness of a dozen teams who let Maxey slip through the cracks.
The speedster averaged 20.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on .481/.434/.845 splits in his third NBA season. While Maxey has no doubt benefited from the defensive attention paid to Embiid and James Harden in recent years, he deserves all the credit in the world for his relentless work ethic and selfless attitude. Maxey is a beacon of light for the NBA's gloomiest fanbase, and these draft day takes were simply... wrong.
Shaky Tyrese Maxey NBA Draft take: "[He] isn't a potent shooter, but he has a knack for scoring"
Scott Gleeson of USA Today gave the Sixers a rock-solid 'B' for the Maxey selection. He brought to light concerns about Maxey's inefficient jumper.
"Trading Al Horford, a bad fit on the Sixers' roster, to acquire a band of solid guards, was the right call for new coach Doc Rivers' squad. Kentucky's Tyrese Maxey isn't a potent shooter, but he has a knack for scoring."
It's hard to complain too much about such a positive grade, but that was lukewarm even back then. Now, anything short of a resounding 'A' would be blasphemous. Maxey is not only a potent shooter, but he's one of the best shooters in the NBA, period.
Last season, Maxey hit 43.4 percent of his 6.2 attempts per game from 3-point range. He has extended his range well past the NBA 3-point line and he's confident spotting up, pulling up off a screen, or shooting movement 3s working different actions on the perimeter. Next to Embiid, that's an invaluable attribute.
It's hard to deny the shooting concern at the time — Maxey's 3s didn't fall at Kentucky and he didn't show any inclination to take deep shots — but that just goes to show much we don't know about players before the draft. Maxey's feather-soft touch and better high school numbers clearly triumphed over his momentary struggles in college.
The Sixers should be thanking their lucky stars that teams thought Maxey was a non-shooter.
Shaky Tyrese Maxey NBA Draft take: "Defensively, he's a coach's dream"
Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has been covering the draft for years. He gave the Sixers a 'B+', citing Maxey's potential as a shooter while incorrectly noting his 'lack' of burst. But that's not the primary bone to pick right now. Wasserman was actually too optimistic about one aspect of Maxey's game.
"Defensively, he's a coach's dream. He'll never get outworked at that end, and he uses his length (6'6" wingspan) and instincts to keep players in front of him."
There was certainly a strong foundation for Wasserman's take at the time. Maxey was a tenacious defender at Kentucky and his athleticism popped constantly, as it does in the NBA. He's strong for his size with speedy legs and fairly long arms. It wasn't unreasonable to project him as a very good NBA defender.
Unfortunately, while the offense has exceeded expectations, Maxey's defense has been a major disappointment. Maxey was far from Doc Rivers' dream on defense. The young guard was constantly berated in practice and during games due to his lack of awareness on that end. Maxey takes hard coaching extremely well and he's motivated to improve every aspect of his game, but the speedster has struggled to translate his athletic gifts into anything more than the occasional defensive highlight.
Maxey is straight up one of the worst defenders on the Sixers' roster, a frequent source of breakdowns and opponent targeting. Teams will relentlessly hunt Maxey in the playoffs due to his short stature and he's a genuine weakness on that end. There's time enough for the 22-year-old to improve, but he is far removed from Wasserman's lofty draft night appraisal on defense.
Shaky Tyrese Maxey NBA Draft take: "I don't really think Maxey quite has the burst to consistently break down defenders"
Few do the NBA Draft better than The Athletic scribe Sam Vecenie, who gushingly appraised the Sixers' decision to pick Maxey. He liked the fit but for a few of the wrong reasons.
"The role where he'll work best is as the nominal point guard, where he can defend at the point of attack and work to space the floor and create plays out of advantageous situations as a scorer. I don't really think Maxey quite has the burst to consistently break down defenders in the way he needs to play as a primary. But he has real value if he can play off of someone."
Vecenie is right on a lot of points here. Maxey is best as a nominal point guard who defends ones but plays off of other creators, a la James Harden or Joel Embiid. He doesn't function particularly well as a primary due to his limited feel as a passer, but he's great at spacing the floor and attacking seams in the defense.
It doesn't feel like Vecenie quite nailed the reason for Maxey's struggles as a primary, though. Maxey absolutely has the burst necessary to one day develop into a primary. He's one of the fastest players in the league, frequently sprinting up the floor, ball in hand, to finish layups before the defense can even react. Maxey's acceleration speed is reminiscent of a sports car and his first step allows him to collapse the defense on a regular basis, despite his lack of shifty dribble moves.
Maxey has also put in hours upon hours of work every offseason to deepen his bag and expand his skill set. The handles are coming along, with Maxey looking more comfortable creating his own looks with each passing season. His development into an elite shooter helps; Maxey is comfortable bombing 3s out of pick-and-rolls and defenders often overcompensate for his jumper, which opens up angles to the rim.
Nick Nurse has spoken at length about getting the ball into Maxey's hands more next season. With Harden's trade request ongoing, the Sixers will soon have to invest in Maxey's point guard skills more than ever. He may never truly thrive as a primary, but not because he lacks burst, as Vecenie once suggested.