De’Anthony Melton Compares Grizzlies’ Ja Morant and Tyrese Maxey
De'Anthony Melton knows a thing or two about playing with a young guard who is among the quickest in the league. Before he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2022 NBA Draft, Melton was a member of the Memphis Grizzlies.
For the last three years, Melton often shared the court with Grizzlies star Ja Morant. While he started in just 24 games in the previous three seasons with the Grizzlies, Melton has had plenty of reps alongside Morant.
Now that he's a member of the Sixers, Melton has spent time playing with the third-year guard Tyrese Maxey, who has been dubbed as one of the "fastest guys," according to Philadelphia veteran PJ Tucker.
Although Melton's spent more time with Morant over the years, how does his new teammate Maxey compare to the 23-year-old All-Star?
"Two young, athletic, and electric players that love to get up and down and can score the ball in bunches," said Melton. "Playing alongside them is just, you know, what I do. It's what I like to do, continuing to affect the game however way I can."
Melton couldn't put a finger on who has the most speed because Morant and Maxey are up there as some of the quickest guards in the league.
"I can't say who's faster," said Melton. "It's tough — they are both quick as lightning."
Maxey and Melton share the speed quality, but basketball-wise, Melton sees visible differences.
"They got two different kinds of games," he continued. "You know, Tyrese is more of a three-point shooter and hits you with middies and all that stuff, but Ja gets to the paint at will with finishing and all that stuff. They are two separate players but really similar at the same time. I'm just understanding where I can fit in and affect the game too."
Being that Morant is Memphis' top-scoring option, Maxey has a long way to go before he reaches the All-Star's level in terms of value.
However, the former Kentucky product isn't too far off. Going into year three, many considered Maxey most likely to become a first-time All-Star in 2023. It will be a challenging goal to accomplish, but Maxey has proven that his ceiling is high, and the lightening fast guard will only continue to develop.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
