Getty Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers
Before the Philadelphia 76ers take on the Brooklyn Nets in Game 1 of the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Tyrese Maxey gave his thoughts on Mikal Bridges’ evolution as a player since being traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Nets.
Maxey explained to Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire that he saw Bridges play well when the Suns gave him opportunities.
“I wouldn’t say it’s surprising. The team that he was on with the Phoenix Suns, he played his role. They would run plays for him down the stretch of games. I remember when we played them here, they ran a couple of set ATOs for him down the stretch in the fourth quarter, so he’s always had game,” Maxey said.
Maxey added that, with Bridges having the bigger role that he has with the Nets, the Sixers’ defense will have to focus primarily on him when stopping the Nets.
“Now, he just has to shoot more, has more volume, more confidence, more plays run for him, the offense kind of flowing through him. So hats off to him. Gonna be a tough job for us to stop him. We’re gonna play him not just one-on-one but a five-man defense. He’s gotta see a crowd every single time that he catches the ball.”
Tyrese Maxey Talks About Playing Next to Embiid and Harden
Maxey revealed what it’s like for him to be the third banana next to Joel Embiid and James Harden while talking with Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“Even when I miss, I can’t get timid,” Maxey told Mizell. “I can’t get scared. Being out there with Jo and James, Tobias [Harris], those guys cause a lot of attention, and they need space. They need people to knock down shots. They need people to shoot shots extremely fast and get them off.”
Head coach Doc Rivers talked about how he urges Maxey to not think when he has the ball.
“What I tell him is, ‘Don’t think. Just go be aggressive. I want me to tell you to stop shooting, not me ever to tell you to shoot,’” Rivers said.
Maxey also talked about the privilege he has to have someone like Embiid have faith in him as a basketball player.
“When the best player in the world, probably, believes in you,” Maxey said, “and you believe in yourself, you’re good against the world.”
Tyrese Maxey Headed For Big Contract
An Eastern Conference executive told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney that Maxey’s progress will likely lead to the Sixers having to max him out.
“They might have thought there was room to negotiate there,” the exec told Deveney. “But look at what the guy has done. He’s gotten better at every turn, his work ethic is really, really amazing from everyone around him. That’s what stands out. This guy is only getting better. Probably, there’s no negotiation, they’re going to have to max him out.”
The exec added that Maxey’s work ethic could make him the face of the franchise down the line.
“The guy is a culture-setter. He works hard, he is relentless. He has fit in with whoever they put him with, that is not easy to do in this league. Moving forward, they want him to be a face-of-the-franchise kind of guy. He has the talent. They have the belief in him. It is only a matter of time, really.”