Sixers Rookie Tyrese Maxey Will Crack the Regular Season Rotation

Sixers rookie Tyrese Maxey will find himself as a regular in the rotation.

Life for an NBA rookie can be difficult. Most young prospects go from being standout stars on their college squads or overseas pro teams to being hopeful for minutes in the Association. Last season, Tyrese Maxey debuted and emerged as a star at Kentucky. This year, he's a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, battling for bench minutes.

Without the Summer League to participate in and a shortened offseason in general, Maxey came into the Sixers organization with an uphill battle to climb. After missing several practice sessions due to testing positive for COVID-19, Maxey's chances of earning regular-season minutes were quickly decreasing.

The rookie was guaranteed to get on the floor during the Sixers' two preseason battles, but Maxey had to really stand out if he wanted to earn minutes in the regular season. During the first matchup against the Boston Celtics, Maxey didn't see the court until the fourth quarter. Once he did come on the floor -- he didn't come off.

In 12 minutes of action, Maxey accounted for eight points, three assists, and a rebound. His performance was impressive enough to convince Sixers head coach Doc Rivers to allow the rookie to get in the second and final preseason game earlier and see an increase in minutes. In 17 minutes against the Indiana Pacers, Maxey put up 11 points, one assist, and five rebounds. 

Now, as the 76ers' regular-season opener approaches, it was unclear if Rivers had any plans to utilize Maxey when it matters or have him continue to watch from the sidelines and develop his game further in practice. When asked about Maxey's role on the eve of the Sixers' season-opener, Rivers offered some good news for the rookie.

“[He'll be] one of our main bench guys,” Rivers revealed. “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 Sixers tip their season off on Wednesday night with a matchup against the Washington Wizards. While Maxey probably won't see the floor a ton, the former Kentucky guard should collect his first real NBA minutes. If Maxey continues to emerge during the shortened and strange NBA season, there's a favorable chance he'll start to see his minutes increase over time.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_