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Tyrese Maxey was a surefire top-10 draft pick after he had a monumental debut against the Michigan State Spartans. In that game, he led the Kentucky Wildcats with 26 points in the 69-62 win over the then-No. 1 team.
Maxey had a very good season for Kentucky, averaging 14 points, four rebounds, and three assists per game. But there were questions around his shooting ability throughout the season. Something that no one could argue was his ability to show up in the biggest games in the biggest spotlight.
Will that be enough to get him a prime spot in the lottery?
Tyrese Maxey
- Position: Combo guard
- Height: 6’3
- Weight: 198 lbs
- Points per game: 14
- Assists per game: 3.2
- Draft Predictions:
NBA Draft.net- #17 to the Minnesota Timberwolves
NBC Sports- #16 to the Portland Trailblazers
NBA.com- #15 to the Orlando Magic
Strengths: Maxey has everything that the NBA wants in a combo guard. He’s fast, he can attack the rim, he can rebound, and he can play the point guard position if that is what is needed from him. Maxey, as previously stated, also has a knack for showing up in the biggest moments. His winning mentality and killer instinct has to be attractive for NBA GMs.
Weaknesses: Shooting from three is all the rage now in the NBA. We have seen the league move out to the perimeter so much that now centers are expected to be at the very least competent from three point range.
Maxey was spotty at best from long range. He was 42.3% from the field for the season but only 29% from three for the season. He also shot 83% from the free throw line. So it’s obvious that Maxey can indeed score and shoot, but can he do it from long range on a consistent basis?
If Maxey can prove to a team that picks from the 7-14 range that he can indeed do that, then someone will pull the trigger on him.
Conclusion: If Maxey does indeed fall outside of the lottery then whichever team ends up drafting him is going to get a steal. Maxey has all the intangibles to be a star in the NBA along with the work ethic to improve his shooting touch.
Maxey being right on the edge of the lottery along with Kentucky’s track record in producing NBA ready talent leads me to believe he will be drafted somewhere between 7-14.
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