Former Sixers Guard Raves About Tyrese Maxey

JJ Redick, who's spent some time playing with the Philadelphia 76ers, never had the opportunity to share the court with young Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey.

While Redick was still in the league when Maxey joined the Sixers through the 2020 NBA Draft, the veteran sharpshooter was a member of the New Orleans Pelicans before getting moved to the Dallas Mavericks via trade.

There were rumors about a potential Redick-Sixers reunion throughout the 2020-2021 season, but the scenario never came to life.

But just because Redick never had an opportunity to get back to Philly doesn't mean he stopped paying attention to the Sixers.

As a retired hooper and now a current analyst, Redick keeps his eyes on the game. And recently, he expressed how he's surprised at how much success one of his former teams is having in their first-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors.

In the midst of his Sixers-Raptors-related rant on 'First Take,' Redick mentioned how much he loves watching Philly's second-year guard Maxey play.

Raving Over Maxey

“You’re gonna have to pick a poison, you’re gonna have to be willing to die with that poison, and right now [the Raptors are] just giving up too much and we brought up Tyrese Maxey. He has emerged in this season, but it’s specifically in these first two games as a legitimate star. He’s a phenomenal basketball player and fun to watch. He does a little bit of everything. Half-court, full-court, in transition. I love watching him score the basketball."

Maxey was hardly in Philly's rotation at this point in the year last season. While he picked up some minutes during the postseason, he didn't have a steady role despite showing some impressive flashes during his rookie campaign.

This season, the situation is entirely different. As Maxey was forced into the fire with Ben Simmons holding out from the Sixers, the young guard had to pick up playing point guard in a playoff-contending lineup to start his sophomore effort.

In 75 games, Maxey averaged 17 points, four assists, and three rebounds while shooting 48-percent from the field and 42-percent from three.

While he passed the Sixers' test and proved he belongs as a starter in the NBA, the playoffs are an entirely new season as the stakes are so much higher. So far, Maxey's been phenomenal in the postseason as well.

In Game 1 against the Raptors, Maxey set a new playoff career-high of 38 points in his first postseason start. During Game 2, he put up 23 points as the Sixers took a 2-0 lead over the Raptors with a 15-point lead.

There is still a lot of basketball left to be played, but Maxey continues to prove he's the real deal. And current and former notable players are paying close attention.

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

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