2020 NBA Draft: 5 Guards that the Washington Wizards could draft at #9
By Ethan Smith
Tyrese Maxey
If the Washington Wizards want to find a “big game” player that doesn’t shy away from the bright lights, they should draft Tyrese Maxey. The one and done guard (hailing from the home of one and dones, Kentucky) made quite the entrance during his NCAA debut. While facing off against the top-seeded Michigan State Spartans, Maxey exploded for 26 points and five rebounds. However, his next game – a nine-point outing against Eastern Michigan – was a microcosm of Maxey’s college career.
Maxey is a quick and decisive combo guard who can score in a variety of ways while also getting his teammates involved on the offensive end. Defensively, he is a solid on-ball defender that can match up well with either guard positions. And he’s an intelligent kid (3.7 GPA) whose smarts can be seen on the basketball court.
However, he’s inconsistent. Maxey had six games of at least 20 points, but he also had nine games with less than ten points. He had five games with more than five assists, but he has eight games with less than two. Maxey shot fairly efficiently inside the three-point line (49.2 percent) and from the foul line (83.3 percent) but struggled mightily from three (29.2 percent).
Yet, despite all his inconsistency, Maxey was still a standout on a loaded Kentucky team, averaging the most minutes and shot attempts per game. He finished the season averaging 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, and earned SEC All-Freshman and All-SEC honors.
John Wall. Eric Bledsoe. Devin Booker. Jamal Murray. De’Aaron Fox. Tyler Herro. Tyrese Maxey?
There’s no shortage of former University of Kentucky guards currently playing at a high level in the NBA. Could Tyrese Maxey be the next Wildcat to take the NBA by storm?