2020 NBA Lottery Redraft, Pick No. 13: Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky
Tyrese Maxey is fast, strong and fearless with the ball in his hands, ready to make a play or take the shot. He is tough and fights defensively, making up in part for his small 6’2″ frame. He is a willing shooter, but hasn’t seen his outside shot go in much to start the season.
When called upon to play big minutes for a Philadelphia team he stepped up and did just that, including scoring 39 points and playing 44 minutes in a January game against the Denver Nuggets. If Maxey can improve as a shooter and settle in as a playmaker, he has the tools to be a solid point guard down the road.
Team Fit: The New Orleans Pelicans have both a lot of point guards and a lot of uncertainty in their point guard room. Lonzo Ball is in trade rumors, Eric Bledsoe is not a snug fit with Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker may be better suited for an off-ball role. Maxey gives them a lead ball-handler who will aggressively attack the paint and can grow in finding creases to hit Williamson in the lane.
What’s Changed? Very little for the Pelicans here, as they go point guard just like in November. With Kira Lewis going one pick sooner they opt for Maxey here over Cole Anthony. Maxey isn’t the level of shooter that Lewis is, but he is certainly a better on-ball defender and fights over screens. The Pelicans could also have opted for a center to replace the lost-looking Jaxson Hayes, but ideally they will want to find an option who can space the floor and a quality option of that ilk wasn’t sitting around in the redraft.