2020 NBA Draft: Making the case for Tyrese Maxey as a top 5 pick
By Evan Wheeler
Scoring
I think there’s a legitimate argument for Maxey being the best scorer and shot-maker in this draft, he is reminiscent of a combination of Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, Knicks legend Willis Reed and former Wizards star Gilbert Arenas. I’m not sure he’s the bouncy athlete Mitchell is or the shooter Arenas was, but Maxey has traits that mirror the way they score.
His numbers also are very similar to Mitchell’s during his sophomore season at Louisville, with some slight differences in their shooting percentages.
| Season | School | G | MP | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3 PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Louisville | 34 | 32.3 | 5.3 | 13.1 | .408 | 2.4 | 6.6 | .354 | 3.2 | .806 | 4.9 | 2.7 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 15.6 |
Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 11/10/2020.
Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
People might look at the 14.0 points per game and 29.2 shooting percentage from beyond the arc, thinking how in the hell is Maxey a top 10 pick? but they would ultimately be reading too much into the numbers. The Dallas native can score at every level and has the physical profile combined with the scoring repertoire to become a dangerous offensive weapon in the NBA as a combo guard.
Maxey has no issue creating his own shot off the dribble and is kind of your prototypical slasher. He doesn’t have the most creative handle, but he’s smooth enough with his dribble and has good quickness on his first step to make up for it. The Kentucky freshman is also a mismatch in transition and should excel in an up-tempo oriented offense.
Maxey is one of the most creative finishers in this draft, showing off his ambidexterity often and fantastic body control to finish through traffic in the paint. He’s also not just some straight-line driver, Maxey understands how to contort his body and utilize angles to his advantage to pull off acrobatic finishes with ease.
Plus given his stature at six-foot-three, 198 pounds with a broad frame and a six-foot-six wingspan, Maxey should be able to finish over most guards at the next level. He’s got great touch around the rim and a phenomenal floater with his right hand, adding to the ways he can attack an opposing defender.
Again, he might be more of a below-the-rim guard than both Mitchell and Arenas, but his ability to create off the dribble and finish off drives reminds me a ton of both of them.
