Yes, that was Tyrese Maxey wearing the Philadelphia 76ers first team jersey and training with Joel Embiid and three other starters.
And what happened to the three-time ‘All-Star’ that Maxey replaced? Ben Simmons was absent at the start of training camp, as expected, and hopes to convince the Sixers to trade him to another team, despite having four years and $ 147 million left on his contract.
The only clue from the franchise base was a giant picture of Simmons on the cover of “Slam” magazine with the headline “Kingdom Come.”
Coach Doc Rivers still believes, albeit unlikely, that Simmons will show up at training camp or at some point in the season to try and get the Sixers back to the top of the Eastern Conference.
“I think at some point he will,” Rivers said Tuesday. “Right now, I will focus on the available players. I think it’s more important.
At the moment, Maxey works with the first team and is ready to increase his load in his second season with the Sixers. The 20-year-old point guard scored 39 points in 44 minutes, making 18 of 33 shots from the field in his first game as a starter against Denver.
“He’s not a natural point guard,” admitted Rivers.
But his youthful energy, sense of humor, and timing skills make Maxey a fan favorite and ideal for replacing Simmons in the opening draw, even when it would cost the Sixers defensively. .
Maxey has repeated his mantra of “improving 1%” every day, on and off the pitch.
“I kind of just put my head down and do the work,” he said. (AP)