Sixers select Tyrese Maxey with 21st overall pick in 2020 NBA Draft

The Philadelphia 76ers have selected Tyrese Maxey with the 21st overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Maxey is a 6’3” guard out of Kentucky who averaged 14.0 points and 3.2 assists per game in his lone season at the NCAA level. Maxey shot 42.7% from the floor, 29.2% from 3PT, and 83.3% from the line. While Maxey wasn’t the most efficient shooter at Kentucky, the sentiment from some draft analysts has been that his shot percentages will improve given that he has solid form. Here’s Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer on the shot: “Shot only 32 percent on jumpers, but his compact form, soft touch, and high percentage from the line bodes well for his future as a shooter.”

In Jackson Frank’s draft roundtable published earlier today, Francis Adu (@beenthrifty) had the following to say about Maxey:

Francis: Of course, what projections are true or not is hard to tell right even this close to the draft, but Philly should be pretty darn giddy if any of the options of Tyrese Maxey, Theo Maledon, and Cole Anthony is available at 21. While it is true that the Sixers always have to be mindful of shooting gravity around the low-post-centric Embiid and non-shooting Simmons, arguably the more urgent need for Philly is a ball-handler capable of scoring off the dribble, while also not requiring the ball all the time to be useful next to the other Philly cornerstones.

Maxey should fit the bill cleanly as a scorer who can both reach the rim and also finish there to pair with what should be an improved jumper from his Kentucky showings. Maxey also has the benefit of not being overly pick-and-roll reliant to help an offense, which is good for the case where Embiid never shows great aptitude as a roller/popper. Paired with Maxey’s very solid and somewhat scalable defense, Maxey is probably the Philly dream here.

Also in that roundtable was the following on Maxey from Henry Ward (@henrywward):

Henry: Definitely. In fact, this would be something worth prioritizing, as one guy I see as fitting that same kind of mold I just discussed at a higher level would be Tyrese Maxey. His range seems to be all over the place, and it’s conceivable that he could even be there at 21 anyway without a trade, given where he’s been mocked at times. This would be an absolute heist. Maxey is built like a Jeep with adept touch and a complex finishing package, making him the perfect candidate to come off pistol and knicks actions with Simmons or Embiid for downhill scoring opportunities. Sixers fans reading this may be particularly dissuaded by his lackluster shooting numbers from Kentucky, but fear not, you’d still be adding a floor spacer — Maxey’s touch, workable form and larger shooting sample from high school and EYBL indicate he’ll be a quality shooter in due time.

I love the pick, plain and simple. Maxey offers a ton of upside and addresses a need, possessing on-ball creation ability. Frankly, I never expected him to be available for the Sixers. He may not offer instant shooting, but based off the opinions of many draft analysts I respect, it sounds like Maxey’s shot could come around. He’s an aggressive player on both ends of the floor. I give an A grade for Daryl Morey and Elton Brand here.

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