PHILADELPHIA–Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey continues to make adjustments to his game as he is now coming off the bench for the team. The Sixers moved the energetic third-year guard to the bench unit in order to find more balance between the units.
In Philadelphia’s two-game series with the Orlando Magic, Maxey combined for 18 points on 6-for-20 shooting. He shot 2-for-11 from the floor in Wednesday’s win over the Magic and he addressed the shooting struggles afterward.
“I missed some open 3s late,” said Maxey. “Like two. In the first half, I think I shot, what, three times? I shot a 2-for-1 pull-up 3 and I shot two pull-ups. Sometimes it’s kinda hard to find your rhythm, but it’s OK. We won so that’s what matters.”
Maxey has a good memory. He did shoot 0-for-3 in the first half, but he did make all four of his free throws so the aggressiveness was there which is always something the Sixers encourage him to be.
He is also continuing to adjust to this new bench role. He was coming off the bench as a rookie behind Ben Simmons, but in his second season and for most of this season, he was a regular starter. Now, he has to make some changes.
“I don’t think so,” Maxey said when asked if the bench role is affecting his game. “Maybe a little bit. Just trying to get back to knowing when you’re gonna get in, when you’re gonna get shots, when you’re gonna fall into the offense, but you don’t worry about that. You just go out there and do other things to try and help the team win like grab rebounds and get assists, and play hard on defense.”
On the flip side, the Magic are a unique team. They have a lot of taller players who use their size and length to bother opponents. For somebody like Maxey who relies so much on his speed when considering he is smaller in stature, he is going to have to find a way to overcome all of that in the future.
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