Tyrese Maxey Has 'Long Way to Go' After Sixers' Preseason Loss to Raptors

For the first time in years, the Sixers are entering a season where they don't plan to have Ben Simmons starting at point guard. As the three-time All-Star

For the first time in years, the Sixers are entering a season where they don't plan to have Ben Simmons starting at point guard. As the three-time All-Star demanded a trade and decided to hold out until he's moved, the Sixers are trying to figure out what's next for the point guard position.

Lately, second-year veteran Tyrese Maxey has received priority to take over. Following a stellar rookie season that was jam-packed with development, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers decided to roll with Maxey as the starting point guard in training camp.

On Monday night, as the Sixers visited the Raptors for the preseason opener, Maxey started the game off at the point in the Sixers' shorthanded lineup. The last time Maxey put his skills on display was back in August during the NBA Summer League. During his two-game stint, Maxey led Vegas in scoring.

Everything he's done from last year to his short stint in Vegas raised the bar of expectations relatively high for Maxey going into Monday's game against the Raptors. Unfortunately, the young guard didn't shine as expected during his first test of the year.

"He's got a long way to go," said head coach Doc Rivers. "He's just a second-year guy. He played one year in college, one year in the NBA, so we're not threatened by that at all. I thought Shake (Milton) didn't play great tonight, but he will too. So those are the two guys that have the ball in their hands."

In Maxey's eyes, he'll get much better over time. As the team expected to be rusty after a long offseason, the young guard believes that they'll get sharper as the preseason progresses this offseason.

"It's literally just reps," Maxey said following the game. "I think we practiced four or five times until the game. This game makes six. This is the sixth time just playing with a different group, playing at a different pace. It's gonna take time, but I have the ultimate confidence [in my teammates], and they help me a lot. Seth (Curry), Tobias (Harris), Danny (Green), Joel (Embiid), everybody. They help me a lot, and I trust in them, and we'll figure it out."

Without crucial members such as Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris on the floor Monday night, Toronto shifted its focus specifically on guys like Maxey. Considering there was extra pressure applied, Rivers believes that's what affected the young guard the most.

"I thought the pressure bothered him tonight," Rivers explained. "We probably weren't thinking about it; when's the last time he's been picked up in his life at guard? It's rare, and they did that. You can see it bother them a little bit, but that's something he'll be able to handle. I have no doubt about that."

Maxey finished the game with just ten points after checking in for his first 21 minutes of the preseason. Shooting 5-for-11 from the field and missing both of his shots from deep, Maxey didn't have the strongest offensive showing from a scoring standpoint. 

Also, he turned the ball over four times, which marked the second-most turnovers on the team. As a point guard, he'll have to take better care of the ball. Fortunately, he's got three more meaningless matchups to sharpen up his skills before the Sixers fly out to New Orleans to begin the regular season. 

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