Philadelphia 76ers: Tyrese Maxey has been the dog all along

What do the 2022 Philadelphia 76ers and yours truly in 2016 have in common? They spent their summer looking for a dog.

That’s right, after being bullied by the Miami Heat, with Joel Embiid explicitly shouting out P.J. Tucker for his toughness, the mandate blared throughout the Philadelphia 76ers’ Training Complex in Camden, New Jersey, was simple: Dogs, lots and lots of dogs.

Now, to Daryl Morey’s credit, he absolutely knocked that pursuit out of the park, adding a backcourt bulldog in De’Anthony Melton and two fierce frontcourt Frenchies in Danuel House and P.J. Tucker who can bring a bite that matches their bark. Factor in a pair of developmental dachshunds in Michael Foster Jr. and Trevelin Queen, who are competing for the 15th and final roster spot on the year’s team, and the dog days of summer are officially here, Philly fans.

But what if I were to tell you that the Philadelphia 76ers have been secretly rostering a dog on their team all along; a dog who just so happens to be one of the most popular homegrown Philadelphia players this side of “The Process?” Well, according to Chris Herring’s friend on the Lowe Post Podcast, that very much appears to be the reputation of none other than Tyrese Maxey around the association.

Tyrese Maxey’s got that dog in him, Philadelphia 76ers fans.

What exactly does it mean for a player to “have a dog in them?” Well, according to Chris Herring’s friend on the Lowe Post Podcast, a player with that aforementioned canine characteristic is going to “get up and go for it.” They’re going to attack the boards both for layups and rebounds, fly up the court on a fast break, and get consistently better with each passing game, month, and season.

That description fits Maxey to a T and is a big reason why Seth Partnow, who is a League Analyst for The Athletic, placed him in the same 4A tier as Scottie Barnes, Darius Garland, Desmond Bane, and Evan Mobley, aka four of the best players in the association currently signed to rookie contracts. It’s also a big reason why seemingly half of the fanbases in the association have attempted a mock trade or two to get the former Kentucky Wildcat on their roster.

No offense to Patrick Williams, who is catching strays like crazy throughout this story, but there’s a reason why Maxey was selected fourth overall in Bleacher Report‘s 2020 NBA re-draft from earlier this year in the very same spot PWill was initially selected in: Maxey is one of the best entry-level scorers in the 2020 NBA Draft class, and his ability to score with the ball in his hands is the easiest aspect of his game to fall in love with.

Mind you, Maxey isn’t just a driver incapable of doing anything else; he’s a quicker, efficient shooter from 3, and he had one of the lowest usage rates-to-turnover percentages in the NBA regardless of age, experience, or contractual dollar amount.

Throw that all together, and what do you have? A max contract-level player a la Darius Garland? An heir apparent for Joel Embiid as the team’s eventual franchise player when he retires? Or maybe just a fun, young player who can galvanize a team better than most and genuinely looks like he loves playing the game?

The Sixers win either way.

So is Tyrese Maxey a dog? Well, if he barks like a dog, plays like a dog, has a very cute dog, and is considered a dog around the league, then I guess that answer is a resounding yes. Now, if Maxey can just become a good defender, then the Philadelphia 76ers will really have something special.