Philadelphia 76ers: Tyrese Maxey and Ben Simmons form a dynamic duo

Ben Simmons is going to love his new Philadelphia 76ers teammate.

Going into the 2020 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers‘ top priority was abundantly clear: Find 3 point shooting.

But what was their second-biggest need? Backup point guard? Perimeter defense? Secondary playmaking? Well, fortunately for fans in the City of Brotherly Love, the team was able to address all three for the low, low price of the 21st overall pick.

Folks, allow me to introduce you to Tyrese Maxey.

More from Section 215

• 4 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
• Best Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
• 3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn Siposs
• Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak Prescott
• Devon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on Eagles

Measuring in at 6-foot-3, 198 pounds with a 6-foot-6 wingspan, Maxey is a two-way guard the likes of which typically aren’t available outside of the lottery, let alone at 21. Seriously, Maxey is so good that you’ll almost exclusively find his name in the teens in any mock draft you can find, going anywhere from 13-18 depending on who you read.

A signee of Clutch Sports and friend of both LeBron James and Ben Simmons, Maxey spent his summer learning from Rajon Rondo and enters the league a ready-made defender with the sort of bulldog mentality Philly fans haven’t seen in this part of town since Jrue Holiday, maybe even Kyle Lowry back at Villanova. Though his outside shot leaves a bit to be desired statistically, as he knocked down said shots down at a sub-30 percent clip on 3.6 attempts per game, his stroke is pure.

Though Maxey only had a 31 game sample size at college, he spent the majority of them paired up with another 6-foot-3 guard, fellow first round pick Immanuel Quickley.

Yup, you read that right; Maxey is a combo guard capable of playing either off the ball or on it, with a wicked jump shot and a keen eye for dishing dimes to an open scorer. Pair him up with Simmons and my goodness; the Sixers may have one of the best young back courts in the NBA.

Whether tasked with playing point guard alongside draft day acquisition Danny Green, paired up with Simmons in the back court as a two guard (a la Markelle Fultz in 2018), or coming off the bench as a change-of-pace sparkplug, Maxey is a 20-year-old scorer who can knock down a shot from anywhere and then lock down an opposing guard at the other end of the court.

A Maxey, Green, Matisse Thybulle, Simmons, Joel Embiid lineup would be borderline ‘unscore on-able’ with a heavy dose of ballhawking to boot.

When players like Terrance Bane, Saddiq Bey, and RJ Hampton were still on the board when the lottery portion of the draft came to a close, many wondered just what direction the Philadelphia 76ers would take with their first round pick. Would they go shooter? Defender? Could the team throw a massive curveball and select a big man like Kansas’ Udoka Azubuike? Well, it turns out Daryl Morey answered many of those questions with one singular pick. With Tyrese Maxey now in place, the Sixers can keep amassing shooters and maybe a backup big, and restock their bench with young, ascending talent.