Getty Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers goes up for a shot against Chris Boucher #25 of the Toronto Raptors in the first quarter during Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round at Wells Fargo Center.
There is nothing Tyrese Maxey won’t do to improve his game. The rising star guard trapped himself in the weight room this summer in an effort to get stronger. Basketball’s version of The Flash has added bulk to his blur.
Maxey’s commitment to adding weight (the good kind: lean, mean muscle) has been most noticeable on the defensive end. He’s better equipped to fight through screens and box out on switches. More importantly, Maxey feels indestructible as he continues his transformation into the “Swole Batman” of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Forgot to share this quote from Tyrese Maxey after last Wednesday. He was literally in the weight room after the game: “I just got done lifting. I’m trying to maintain it [added muscle], keep eating right, and help my team win as much as possible.” #Sixers #HereTheyCome
“I feel stronger, I can fight through screens, and sometimes when we switch I can box out,” Maxey said. “That was really one of my main things, I didn’t want to be a defensive liability because of my size. I’m only 6-3, giving myself an inch, I’m only 6-2 … I don’t want there to be any type of slack, especially not defensively. I don’t want them to make special schemes just for me. I wanted to be solid and be able to do whatever coach needed me to do defensively to help us win.”
Tyrese Maxey in 2020 vs Tyrese Maxey tonight. Very clear he has added some noticeable muscle to his frame which is awesome to see
Maxey is listed at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds on his official NBA bio. Looking at his retooled frame, the best guess is he added maybe 10 pounds of muscle. The extra weight has helped him improve on the offensive end of the floor, too.
“And then offensively just playing through contact, getting to the ball,” Maxey said. “Last year I felt like I got bumped off my spot a little bit sometimes when I drove and right now it feels good.”
Pleading to Stay in Preseason Games
Maxey would never ask to come off the court. It doesn’t matter if it’s a preseason tilt or a playoff game. He wants to play all 48 minutes to the point of exhaustion.
Tyrese Maxey! Too crafty with it!
(live on NBA TV)
In fact, Maxey admitted he was on his way to the scorer’s table to check back in with 1 minute left in last week’s 113-112 preseason win over Cleveland. The coaching staff was just messing with him, though.
“Coach Dan Burke told me to go in with a minute and I was on my way to the scorer’s table,” Maxey said. “Honestly, I mean, I just love playing basketball and I love winning. I love competition, and I feel like we have a lot of guys on our team who really love to compete and love to win and you could kind of see that tonight.
“We were excited about winning a preseason game. Of course, it’s a preseason game but you try to win. Basketball is a competition, it’s them versus us, and our guys are extremely competitive even in practice so it showed tonight.”
Isaiah Joe Wins Blue x White Scrimmage
The Sixers held their annual Blue x White Scrimmage over the weekend at Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington, Delaware. The starters battled the bench players in a fast-paced game — running clock, no stoppages — and traded four quarters for two 12-minute halves of action.
The scrimmage ended in a 40-40 tie and then went to a shootout to decide the winner. Isaiah Joe hit a deep triple (following a timeout by Doc Rivers ) to send the bench players home with the victory. Next up, the Sixers take on the Cavaliers on October 10 in Cleveland at 7 p.m.
The Sixers tied the Sixers 40-40 in the Blue x White scrimmage.
Isaiah Joe wins it for the white team in a shooting competition.