76ers' Nick Nurse Reiterates Fascination With Tyrese Maxey

Nick Nurse came away from the 76ers' preseason opener against the Celtics encouraged by Tyrese Maxey's performance.

In past seasons, Nick Nurse became familiar with Tyrese Maxey’s game as a common opponent, being he was the previous head coach of the Toronto Raptors. Now, with the Philadelphia 76ers, Nurse enjoys the benefits of having the speedy guard on his side.

Last week, the Sixers went into training camp in Colorado, and Maxey once again turned heads as he’s already showing more development in year four. 

The guard’s veteran teammate Patrick Beverley acknowledged Maxey as somebody who surprised him through the first few days of training camp as he didn’t know too much about Maxey after playing in the West for most of the former first-rounder’s first few seasons.

Nurse was another new member of the organization to praise Maxey for what he brought to the table throughout training camp.

“He had one of those days where nobody could catch him on anything,” Nurse said following one of the team’s practices in Colorado. “He was really providing a lot of juice for his team today, getting to the basket a lot, causing a lot of problems for some of the guys.”

Maxey Earns High Praise From Nick Nurse

Maxey terrorized his team’s defense with his quickness last week and finally got the opportunity to do it to somebody else on Sunday night as the Sixers faced the Boston Celtics for their preseason opener.

In a matchup without Joel Embiid and James Harden, the Sixers trotted out a starting five that resembled last season’s run but included Patrick Beverley and Paul Reed for the night. Somebody with zero expectations for the game due to the circumstances of it not counting for anything would’ve been incredibly impressed with Maxey’s performance from start to finish.

As for Nurse, he was certainly pleased with what the young guard out on display.

“I think he’s a guy that’s kind of ready,” Nurse told reporters following the game. “He’s in shape pretty much year-round, probably because of what he does in the summer.”

Maxey joked during the game that he was in “mid-season form.” Putting all of his hard work to the test, the young guard saw immediate benefits. During his first ten minutes of action, Maxey hit on four of his six shots, knocking down two threes for 13 points in the first quarter.

With fewer minutes in the second quarter, Maxey remained efficient on the offensive end. He wrapped up the first half with 19 points in 19 minutes, leading his team while trailing by just two points. 

“I’m fascinated with sometimes how easy he shakes and gets so free from three,” Nurse explained. “That’s interesting for me to watch up close. He’s the kind of guy that makes that look easy sometimes. He was good. I liked what he did out there. Liked the way he looked, and I think he made some plays for other people, too.”

Without Harden on the floor, all eyes were on Maxey from a scoring and playmaking standpoint. With more minutes at the point guard position potentially coming his way due to a possible Harden trade, Maxey is expected to take another step with his playmaking.

In 28 minutes of action, Maxey dished out four assists, one more than his career average. He also hit on nine of his 17 shots, scoring 24 points. Despite being a game that doesn’t count for anything, Maxey reminded the league that he’s an emerging young star who is looking to take his play up another notch in year four. 

---

Related Reading

Tremendous Tyrese: With year four approaching for Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers’ guard has received a ton of praise for the growth that he’s shown over the course of the offseason so far. This week, select Sixers veterans discussed Maxey’s “tremendous” growth. READ MORE

Harden, Morey Exchange Final Favors: The James Harden saga seems guaranteed to end in a trade sooner than later. For the time being, Harden and Daryl Morey are exchanging final favors, which could be their last, before the inevitable split. READ MORE

Culture Shocked: Kelly Oubre comes from teams with lost hope. Joining the Sixers for the upcoming season, the veteran reserve sees the team as a well-oiled machine, which motivates him to prove his naysayers wrong this year. READ MORE