The 2020-21 NBA season has been challenging for everybody as it has offered challenges never seen before. Games continue to come fast in a compact schedule. There has been little time to rest or practice and that has affected everybody — even veterans.
For a rookie? All of it can be overwhelming.
Philadelphia 76ers rookie Tyrese Maxey has had himself an up and down season. His minutes have been inconsistent, but he has kept himself in great shape and he continues to learn the game quickly despite the fact a lot is coming at him in a short amount of time.
“It’s definitely a grind, but we have a great staff, medical staff weightlifting staff, all the way around player development,” Maxey stated. “They’ve done a great job of just helping me stick with it, and they helped me maintain it. I like to go to the gym a lot; they’ve been trying to help me stay measured and not always going overboard. Trying to find a good in-between game find a good routine. I really appreciate them for that.”
Maxey played his final college game on March 5, 2020, with Kentucky, and then the world shut down due to the pandemic. There was then a lot to accomplish before the draft on Nov. 18.
“During the down period between college and the draft, I kind of just took that and use it to my advantage,” Maxey explained. “I worked every single day. Went out to LA and worked with Chris Johnson every single morning at 6 a.m. and then I want to go lift, sports rehab, and then I’ll come back and shoot again at 10. Even some nights, I will come back later on five, six o’clock and I’ll get the full workout in.”
That served as solid preparation for Maxey since he was unable to experience a usual NBA Summer League and a few months of being able to learn the ways of the NBA. He was able to prepare himself for the league and he was able to get the work in.
“I just used that to try to make my game a little bit better and better 1% better every single day,” he explained. “The season’s been great, we’ve been winning, and my job on this team, my role on this team is to always stay ready. Always stay ready no matter the circumstance and always step up and not let it be a letdown and help the team win.”
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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