Kentucky sophomore Ashton Hagans declared for the NBA draft yesterday.
Now comes the main attraction from Lexington.
Tyrese Maxey:
THE GREATEST TRADITION... THANK YOU #BBN FOR EMBRACING ME... FOREVER A WILDCAT!!! pic.twitter.com/UCGsGE9X4c
— Tyrese Maxey (@TyreseMaxey) April 6, 2020
Maxey will likely be a lottery pick, though that requires significant projection to justify.
The guard sometimes looks like a premier scorer. He handles the ball well and create his own shot. He shot well from outside before Kentucky and made 83 percent of his free throws last season. But he connected on just 29 percent of his 3-pointers. That 3-point percentage must – and could – increase majorly in the NBA.
Maxey’s inside game is more advanced. He can change speeds, and his floater is effective.
He’s also a solid defender who plays hard. His approach to the game is commendable – and it has to be. Maxey is not an especially explosive athlete. That gives him a narrow needle to thread as he enters the NBA.
At 6-foot-3 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, Maxey could settle in at either guard position. His potential is highest at point guard, where he’d have the ball in his hands more. But he must distribute better – another skill he showed flashes of but didn’t sustain consistently.