Do What Matisse Does: Tyrese Maxey Revealed His Strategy Guarding Trae Young

Tyrese Maxey has had a lot on his plate in year two so far. With Ben Simmons out of the mix, the former Kentucky standout earned the starting point guard

Tyrese Maxey has had a lot on his plate in year two so far. With Ben Simmons out of the mix, the former Kentucky standout earned the starting point guard position on the Sixers for the time being. 

Over the first few games of the season, he had to learn how to become a playmaker while coexisting with stars such as Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris on offense.

On Saturday, he had to quickly learn how to exclusively guard Atlanta Hawks superstar Trae Young on the defensive end. Over the last two seasons, Young averaged over 25 points per game. 

While his numbers were slightly down heading into Saturday night's matchup between Philly and Atlanta, the Sixers still anticipated having their hands full. And they expected it to be challenging to contain Young without Simmons on the floor.

Sixers head coach Doc Rivers didn't want Maxey overcomplicating things on Saturday night. Knowing that the second-year guard was unlikely to turn into an established lockdown perimeter defender overnight, the Sixers went in with the strategy of pressuring Young without overdoing it so they avoid getting burnt or landing in foul trouble.

Maxey stuck to the plan and helped the 76ers contain Young in a big way as he shot just 5-16 from the field for 13 total points. When asked what his plan was guarding Trae Young on Saturday night, Maxey jokingly revealed he wanted to mirror the third-year veteran Matisse Thybulle on defense.

"Do what Matisse does on defense," Maxey laughed. "No, just try to make it tough on him. [He's a] great player -- extremely hard to guard. [Hoe does] double drags and drags, and just one on ones. So [I] just try to keep coming and keep chasing him and try without fouling." 

Early on in the game, Maxey found himself racking up a few fouls. After picking up one in the first quarter before landing two more in the second quarter, Maxey knew he had to calm down and recognize who he was going against. Once he did, he came out of the second half foul-free.

"I had to remind myself to stay solid," Maxey continued. "I mean, he's [Trae Young], extremely good. Drawing fouls is a skill now, and I think he's mastered that skill. He knows when to go back or pump fake and when a guy's out of position. So you just have to stay solid and keep pursuing and keep trying to make it tough on him." 

It's safe to say Maxey passed his first major defensive test of the season on Saturday night. While there's still a long way to go before the second-year guard reaches his ceiling, the former Kentucky product once again showed that the future is bright as he helped the Sixers pick up a 122-94 win over Atlanta.

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