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Philadelphia 76ers rookie Tyrese Maxey participated in a non-contact portion of practice on Tuesday, his first day of on-court work with the team since testing positive for the coronavirus.
Players who have returned a confirmed positive test are isolated until they are cleared for leaving isolation under the rules established by the NBA and the Players Association, in accordance with CDC guidance. Maxey estimated that he was sidelined for about 10 days since his positive test.
“One thing I did was I asked my mom, as soon as I tested positive, is bring everything to my little section [of the house] and I’ll lift weights and do different things like that just try to stay in tune,” Maxey said Tuesday on a Zoom call with reporters. “I had no sense of other than I lost my taste and smell but it is weird being at home in your room having to act like you’re sick, and just staying safe because I didn’t want any of my family members to get it.”
Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said this week that Maxey has watched each missed practice on Zoom. He sat down virtually with a coach and reviewed what the team did and where he would be on the court during each drill or exercise.
Rookies this year are at a disadvantage of entering training camp after a truncated offseason period. The process of learning the new plays and getting to know their teammates on the court is often lengthy but Maxey believes it won’t take him long to pick things up.
“I don’t think it’ll take that long to catch up, honestly just because of the work that I put in prior to it,” Maxey said. “Like I said, that was one of my main emphasis during the summer was I was going to be in the best shape of my life. Getting back on the court today and a little bit last night was kind of a smooth transition.”
The Sixers begin preseason play on Dec. 15 so it would appear likely that Maxey would be able to play in that game versus the Boston Celtics but that, of course, is dependent on his conditioning level and how he responds to practice before then.
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