The Philadelphia 76ers are heading into the 2020-21 season with a brand new supporting cast around their star duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. The team figures to have much more success on the offensive end due to the amount of space the stars will be able to have some success.
The team also figures to have an improved bench led by Shake Milton and new addition Dwight Howard. However, coach Doc Rivers plans to have a 10-man rotation to begin the season and there is one rookie who figures to be a part of that rotation off the bench.
Tyrese Maxey fell into Philadelphia’s laps at 21 in the 2020 NBA draft and he had an impressive preseason. The fact that he can put the ball on the floor and be one of the more aggressive players on the team in attacking the basket and that ability is going to have him in the good graces of Rivers.
“One of our main bench guys,” he said of Maxey. “I don’t have a minute thing circled for anybody. I don’t think I’ve done that in 20 years unless it’s a starter that was supposed to play 35 minutes and they gave me a 10-minute minimum. I think he’s a terrific player. He has shown himself well, he will get minutes, but I’m not going to give you a number.”
The great thing about Maxey is that he can play both on the ball and off the ball. All of that makes him a fit in any lineup including one where he is out there with Shake Milton and Furkan Korkmaz who will be the main bench pieces in Philadelphia.
“He’s really been on the ball a lot, but when you put him in the second unit, let’s say, and you have Shake and Furkan, he tends to be both because any three of those guys can bring the ball up,” Rivers added. “So that’s when he’s pretty good off the ball as well. Great cutter, which is unusual for a young guy.”
The Sixers get the season underway on Wednesday when they host the Washington Wizards at 7:00 p.m. EST.
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