Doc Rivers Raves About Sixers Rookie Tyrese Maxey's Work Ethic

When Tyrese Maxey rocked a shirt that said, "Fall in Love With the Process" on draft day back in November, it wasn't for show. The Philadelphia 76ers rookie's uncle taught him in High School to work hard and fall in love with working hard, and the former Kentucky standout took it to heart.

Ever since joining the Sixers for training camp in December, Maxey has hardly taken a day off. Even when his team doesn't have a game or practice scheduled, you could find the rookie guard getting in a solo practice session to improve his game.

Although Maxey hasn't solidified a permanent position in Philly's primary rotation during his first season, it's still clear the young guard has improved as a player. And following his spectacular regular-season finale on Sunday night against the Orlando Magic, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers praised Maxey for how hard he works.

"The kid listens," Rivers said on Sunday night in regards to Maxey. "I mean, he works his butt off. I said that earlier -- he's extremely coachable. We watched film ten minutes before the game today on some of the defensive things that he didn't do last game, and today he came out and did things better. He's worked, and he's good."

With extended minutes on Sunday night, Maxey managed to get up 19 shots from the field during his 34-minutes shift. He shot efficiently as he drained 11 of his shots and went 5-5 from the stripe for a total of 30 points. 

While Maxey wasn't solely responsible for Philly's 128-117 win over Orlando, he did lead the charge and looked like a budding star. Moving forward, it's unclear how much playing time Maxey will acquire in the playoffs if any at all. 

But one thing is for sure; the rookie isn't going to stop working and will continue to improve his game throughout the postseason and the offseason so he can come back even better for his sophomore effort next year.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.