Sixers: Tyrese Maxey deserves spot in playoff rotation

The Sixers are the No. 1 seed in the East and have arguably the most favorable path to the conference finals of any team in the NBA. There is no incentive for groundbreaking changes on the part of Doc Rivers. That said, there may be room for improvement in the form of Tyrese Maxey.

Over his last 10 games, Maxey is averaging 11.1 points and 3.7 assists in 18.3 minutes. He is shooting 52.5 percent from the field over that span, and hitting 47.4 percent of his 1.9 three-point attempts per game. That all culminated in the Sixers’ season finale on Sunday, in which Maxey accumulated 30 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in the starters’ absence.

The Sixers would benefit from Tyrese Maxey’s dynamism in the postseason.

It is abundantly clear Maxey has made significant strides since the beginning of the season. He is confidently stepping into (and making) spot-up 3s, which rectifies many potential fit issues next to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. He has also grown as a defender and finisher, fighting hard over screens and making a concerted effort to get all the way to the rim and draw contact.

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The rumblings of Maxey starting next season are well earned. His trajectory is aimed quite high. It’s certainly aimed high enough for him to crack the playoff rotation. Doc Rivers will likely trim down his 10-man group to nine or eight at some point, but only two players feel like absolute locks — George Hill and Matisse Thybulle. Dwight Howard will get stray minutes at center, but otherwise, there is no real reason to keep Maxey out of that eight or ninth spot.

For far too long, the Sixers have lacked a playmaker in Maxey’s vein — a lead guard who has an explosive first step and the ability to consistently penetrate the defense off the dribble. Maxey can effortlessly put pressure on the rim and score with remarkable efficiency. His feather-soft touch makes him deadly from the free throw line in, while his improved outside shot forces defenders to acknowledge him on the perimeter.

Maxey’s speed is a singular attribute and it makes him invaluable to the second unit. He is already one of the team’s most reliable live-dribble creators. He is one of the staggeringly few players on the roster who can generate his own offense under pressure. The Sixers would benefit from such a skill set in the postseason.

At 20 years old, Maxey shows the poise and demeanor of a player many years his senior. Maxey has thrived time and time again when given the opportunity to play. His willingness to learn and improve is promising. He was benched early in the season for good reason. Rather than toil away on the bench, Maxey has doubtlessly worked hard to study film and improve the weakest attributes of his game. Once an unreliable newbie, Maxey now looks the part of a player Doc Rivers would be foolish to bench. The kind who can drop 20 points in a critical game and lift the halfcourt offense out of stagnation in make-or-break moments.

Naturally, there is reason to doubt whether or not Rivers will actually change his rotation ahead of the postseason. The current five-man bench group has performed well enough — Howard, Thybulle, Korkmaz, Milton, Hill — and Rivers is a sucker for experience. He has stuck with most of his guys all season, and it would not be wise to bet on a sudden explosion of Maxey minutes this postseason, even if that’s the best course of action.

Maxey will probably have to wait until next season for his big break. Another offseason of growth, plus a training camp to establish his place in the rotation, could work wonders. For now, we may be stuck wishing Maxey were on the court, rather than watching him on it.

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