Sixers Bell Ringer: Maxey, Reed and Tsunami Papi shine in the Sixers preseason

While the average Philadelphia sports fan reveled in the Phillies’ commanding victory over the Braves, we at Liberty Ballers tuned in to the Sixers’ preseason game, where they faced the Boston Celtics for the second time.

For the first half, it was a whole lot of offense and not a ton of defense. The second half featured some garbage time basketball with a lot of end-of-roster talent. Eventually, the Celtics pulled away resulting in a 112-101 victory over the Sixers.

Our last preseason Bell Ringer went to Tyrese Maxey, who narrowly edged out Jaden Springer, 220-174 votes. Let’s talk about who shined in the Sixers’ second preseason contest.

Tyrese Maxey: 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

Maxey picked up right where he left off in the Sixers’ first preseason game. The preseason is indeed the preseason, but it’s hard not to feel encouraged by Maxey’s performances against the Celtics. Derrick White and Jrue Holiday — both who are great defenders — often found themselves in the dust of Maxey’s speed. The James Harden situation is far from being resolved, but regardless the Sixers are going to need an aggressive and effective Maxey to have a chance against the top talent in the Eastern Conference. One knit-pick: Maxey’s four fouls in the first half. Many of them were silly, including one where he seemingly attempted the Trae Young move of backing into the defender.

Kelly Oubre Jr.: 18 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks

Many were split when it came to the Oubre signing. On one hand, you have a 20-point-per-game wing that’s capable of creating his own shot and doing positive things on the defensive end. On the other, he’s a black hole on offense that can sometimes shoot too much. Tonight’s game turned out to show the better half of Oubre, as he was scorching hot in the first half, hitting all four of his three-point attempts. He often won’t shoot this well, but it was telling just how potentially big of a boost he can be off the bench when he is firing on cylinders.

Paul Reed: 10 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals

Reed’s first preseason game showcased plenty of offseason rust, with tonight’s game being an entirely different story. Reed was much more in control offensively, hitting 5 of his 9 shot attempts with only one turnover and foul. We all know he’s capable of hauling in boards and defensive stats, but the five assists are what stuck out the most. The Sixers’ offense often puts their bigs in the middle of the court to help facilitate things, and Reed shined tonight dishing an impressive five assists in 21 minutes. Mo Bamba has been shaky at best thus far, but it’s nice to know they can rely on Reed behind their MVP.

Danny Green: 8 points (2 of 3 from three), 3 assists, 3 steals, +6

Green’s contract is non-guaranteed, but it’s hard to see a scenario where he doesn’t make the Sixers’ opening night roster. The 36-year-old looked a lot like the player we remember from his first go ‘round with the Sixers. He excels as an off-ball mover offensively, creating optimal floor spacing for the team’s stars, while playing impactful off-ball defense. There’s a real competition for wing minutes brewing here.