Tyrese Maxey's draft slide now looks like a colossal steal. A redraft catapults him to No. 3, solidifying his star status and critical importance to the Philadelphia 76ers
Bleacher Report's latest 2020 redraft is another reminder of how much value Philadelphia got when Tyrese Maxey slipped to No. 21.
In the redo, Maxey rises all the way to No.3. Maxey looked like a talented but unrefined guard coming out of Kentucky, but he has turned into one of the best young scorers and a cornerstone for the Sixers. Maxey averaged 28.3 points and 6.6 assists this season.
The reason he lasted until Philadelphia was easy to understand. Scouting reports questioned his three-point shooting; he shot 29.2% from beyond the arc and had mechanical issues that he still needed to work out. While an 83.3% free throw percentage suggested he had soft enough touch to be a good shooter, that was more of a projection of what he could be than what he currently was. He was still lightning fast and a great slasher, but his game outside of rim running needed to grow at the next level.
If the redraft also sends Jalen Smith to Philadelphia, the 76ers would be downgrading. To give credit, Smith is a solid backup big man who is decent on both ends of the court as a play finisher and rim protector. He is averaging 10.2 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 48.3% from the field. The former lottery pick has built his game around hustling, finishing at the rim, and being a much improved floor spacer.
That is why the Sixers would look worse without Maxey. Smith is a helpful role player, but Maxey is the player who commands defensive attention every time he touches the ball. His speed, shot creation, and ability to generate easy offense in the open floor give Philadelphia something they can build around now and in the future. Even if the Sixers could survive short strecthes without him, he is still needed in the long term. Without Maxey, the Sixers would be far worse off than they are now, and it would be fair to question if the team would even be in the playoffs right now.
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Wes Dixon is a contributing writer to 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached at dixonwesley286@gmail.com.