Dewayne Dedmon Compares Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey to Tyler Herro
Although Tyrese Maxey made it clear he believes he’s a starting-caliber guard in the NBA, the young veteran embraced the idea of coming off the bench for the Philadelphia 76ers this season.
While Maxey started the year off in the starting lineup, an injury derailed his progress for over a month. When he returned to action, the Sixers were thriving with a starting backcourt containing De’Anthony Melton and James Harden.
Doc Rivers offered Maxey his starting job back for six games, but the unit wasn’t clicking the way it did with Melton’s defensive value on the floor. For the last 14 games, Maxey started just once when the Sixers were shorthanded.
Although the young guard still averaged 30 minutes on the floor during that span, Maxey would begin the game with the second unit while frequently finishing with the starter’s unit. Last week, the Sixers added a new reserve to the roster by acquiring Jalen McDaniels via trade. The former Charlotte Hornets wing looked forward to competing alongside Maxey.
This week, the Sixers brought on another talent by adding the veteran big man, Dewayne Dedmon. Similar to McDaniels, Dedmon looks forward to sharing the court with the young standout, who Dedmon considers a notable up-and-comer.
In addition to highlighting Maxey as one of the three noteworthy names, Dedmon mentioned during his first session with the media on Wednesday morning that he tends to compare Maxey to the former Sixth Man of the Year, Tyler Herro.
“He’s been great, man, I kind of compare him coming off the bench to Tyler last year,” Dedmon said of Maxey. “You know what I’m saying? He comes in, he’s explosive, he gets the offense going, and takes advantage of the other team’s second units. He’s a great talent, so I’m actually looking forward to playing with him.”
Herro might be a polarizing player in the league, but his talent is undeniable. Herro might be a full-time starter these days, but he started the first three years of his career in a bench role. Through his first two seasons, Herro averaged 14 points while shooting 38 percent from deep in an average of 29 minutes off the bench.
When he was crowned with the Sixth Man of the Year award last season, Herro saw an increase in playing time, spending 33 minutes per game on the court. During that time, he averaged 21 points while draining 40 percent of his threes.
This season, Maxey came off the bench for 15 of 37 games. In those outings, he’s averaged 16 points while knocking down 38 percent of his threes. While the young guard has found more success playing in the starting five with All-Stars surrounding him, Maxey is finding ways to impact the game as a star in his own unit, similar to what Herro did as a reserve in Miami.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
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