Sixers' Rookie Tyrese Maxey Already Making a Push for Minutes
They say the preseason doesn't count for anything in the NBA, which might be true from a team-wide standpoint. When it comes to players who are on the outside looking in at their team's regular-season rotation, though, the preseason is all that matters at the moment.
Philadelphia 76ers first-round pick Tyrese Maxey could probably guess he's not going to be a part of the team's regular-season plans early on. After all, he just joined the team nearly a month ago and played in his first 12 NBA minutes on Tuesday.
But despite Tuesday's preseason opener against the Boston Celtics being Maxey's first taste of NBA action, the rookie is already winning over his head coach and teammates as he produced eight points, three assists, and a rebound in 12 minutes.
"He's good, and I've said that -- he's a good player," said Sixers head coach Doc Rivers after Maxey's debut. In the past, Rivers has made it clear that it's going to be difficult for any of the team's three rookies to get on the floor during the regular season in year one -- especially this season.
But Rivers won't deny that if Maxey continues to perform and progress the way he has been lately, he'll make it hard for the coaching staff to keep him away from the court.
"He's gonna push for minutes because he's a good basketball player; he knows how to play. You can't speed him up; he's got a plethora of shots, he makes simple plays. I've said this before, Kentucky guys come into the NBA prepared. This kid knows how to defend, and he talks on defense -- he's been coached, for sure."
One game's worth of action won't get Maxey in the rotation -- but he'll have another opportunity to make his case on Friday night in the Sixers' second preseason game against the Indiana Pacers.
At the moment, Rivers made it clear he's well-aware of four reserves who are going to make the rotation already, leaving the fifth spot as a battle likely among Maxey and several other players. Although the rookie might not make a strong enough case to win minutes now, Rivers already envisions a scenario where it's going to be hard to keep the first-round guard off the court for long.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
