Philadelphia 76ers: What Happened to Tyrese Maxey's Minutes?
Following a successful 2020-2021 NBA Preseason, Philadelphia 76ers first-round rookie Tyrese Maxey was trending up. As Sixers head coach Doc Rivers didn't seem blown away by second-year guard Matisse Thybulle at first, Maxey found himself in the ten-man rotation by the start of the season.
For his first 15 NBA games, Maxey averaged just over 20 minutes-per-game. In six of those games, he started due to the Sixers being shorthanded. Although the health and safety protocol kept enough Sixers off the floor for a bit, allowing Maxey several opportunities to start, it seemed inevitable he would remain in the rotation even when he goes back to the bench.
By Game 16, Maxey saw just six minutes on the floor against Boston. Since then, his playing time has fluctuated, and now he's averaging only 12 minutes-per-game over the last nine matchups. Earlier this week, the nearly fully healthy Sixers faced the Sacramento Kings, and a healthy Maxey didn't even see the floor.
On Thursday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, Maxey earned playing time with Shake Milton out due to an ankle sprain, but he didn't see more than 13 minutes of playing time. Although Sixers head coach Doc Rivers can't predict what will happen in the future, it seems Maxey's role will slowly regress as long as Philly is healthy.
"I've learned as a coach that you can't play everybody," Rivers said before Thursday night's game. "You just can't. 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 gonna be a terrific player... But you can't play everybody."
At this point in the year, Rivers has come around to utilizing Thybulle, who started the year on the outside of the rotation looking in. As the second-year guard's defense can really impact a game, Rivers seems to believe he holds more value than Maxey at the moment. That can change later on down the line, but the rookie will be forced to take a step back right now.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
