Philadelphia 76ers: It’s time to believe in Tyrese Maxey’s outside shot

Maya Angelou once said that when someone shows you who they are, believe them.

If someone is a poor 3 point shooter, don’t expect them to suddenly get good with a little practice. If someone routinely passes up on open 3s for contested 2s, don’t expect them to become a catch and shoot specialist. And if someone refuses to shoot 3s altogether, don’t magically expect them to become the next LeBron James in Year 5.

While the eye test can be misleading, it is a worthy evaluator of talent.

Why, you may ask, is this relevant? Because Tyrese Maxey is a good 3 point shooter.

But he’s not, right? I mean, he wasn’t coming out of Kentucky; that’s largely why he was drafted in the 20s, not the 10s. He also wasn’t a good 3 point shooter for the Philadelphia 76ers last season either, as he only made 30.7 percent of his 1.7 attempts per game from beyond the arc as a rookie.

Well, guess what? Tyrese Maxey wasn’t a point guard last season either. Maybe it’s about time to accept that the 21-year-old out of Texas is just different.

The Philadelphia 76ers need to embrace Tyrese Maxey, shooter.

In the Philadelphia 76ers’ commanding win over the Boston Celtics in Al Horford‘s first trip back to “The Center,” Tyrese Maxey hit five 3s.

That’s a lot, but not an unprecedented number for the second-year former Wildcat.

You see, Maxey has attempted five or more 3s in eight different games so far this season and has connected on five 3s twice, including in his final game before landing in COVID protocol and in his second game back. On the season, when Maxey takes 3s, he makes them a little over 40.3 percent of the time.

While Maxey’s 3 point shooting is just average from above the break, as he hits those shots at a 35.4 percent clip, the second-year pro leads the team in corner efficiency – albeit on .6 attempts per game – from both the left side, the right side, and the corners overall, leading the team shooting percentages of 60, 68.8, and 66.7 respectively. And on catch-and-shoot opportunities? Well, Maxey is making those at a high percentage, too, tied for second on the team among qualifying players at a very impressive 40.9 percent of 1.9 attempts per game.

If the Sixers can embrace Maxey’s efficiency off the ball, instead of simply hiding him in the corner like Matisse Thybulle when he’s spacing the field, there are certainly points being left on the table when a player like Seth Curry or Tobias Harris has the key to the engine, especially if opposing defenders continue to sag off of the MIP candidate in favor of crowding the paint.

Maybe one day, Tyrese Maxey will get the respect he deserves as a shooter. Maybe opposing teams will play him honestly, and the Philadelphia 76ers will have to adjust in turn, but for now? Now, Maxey has shown time and time again that he is a more than capable outside shooter in a variety of different situations and deserves more opportunities to let it fly as an outlet option instead of an on-ball bomber. Maxey has shown us who he is for half of a season now; why not believe him?