Doc Rivers Hints Sixers Rookie Tyrese Maxey Could Earn More Minutes

Many wondered what Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers planned to do with his rotation in the weeks leading up to the postseason. Despite fielding many questions on the subject, Rivers' answer never changed. 

With multiple routes to go off the bench, there were different avenues Rivers could go. Veterans like George Hill and Dwight Howard are locks, but the rest of the rotation is up for debate. 

Using a deep rotation is an idea Rivers brought up constantly. He feels this Sixers team is deep, and he intended to use it to his advantage. 

Sunday's game one matchup was a testament to that. Rivers rolled out 11 different players against the Wizards, with one of those players being Tyrese Maxey. 

The rookie guard saw just under seven minutes of action in his playoff debut. Maxey scored three points, picking up a big and-one layup that sent the home crowd in hysteria. 

After the game, Doc Rivers spoke about the Sixers' first-round pick. He liked what he saw from Maxey and even hinted at him potentially seeing more time down the road. 

"I thought they were great. They were six good minutes. He's going to keep earning more that would be my guess," said Rivers Sunday. 

Maxey has been an extremely hard worker all season. He more than earned a chance to show what he can do on a playoff stage. 

Playing a rookie later in the playoffs might be questionable, but Maxey makes sense for this series. Washington is going to do their best to up the pace. What better player for Rivers to combat that than the offensive spark plug. 

There has yet to be a moment that was too big for Maxey this season. If Rivers calls his number again in this series, Maxey will not let the opportunity go to waste. 

Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers for South Jersey's 97.3 ESPN and Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @KevinMcCNBA.