NBA Game Reviews: January 9, 2021

1. Tyrese Maxey showed he has the potential to be a lethal NBA scorer sooner than later with an elite floater

The Philadelphia 76ers were drastically derailed by the league’s health and safety protocols on Saturday. Due to Seth Curry’s positive test and contact tracing, the 76ers only had seven guys eligible to play, including four rookies and the only available starter, Danny Green. This thrusted 20-year-old rookie Tyrese Maxey into the starting lineup, the 21st overall pick out of Kentucky. Maxey flashed tons of potential at Kentucky, particularly with his ability to score the ball. That’s exactly what he did on Saturday against NBA competition.

Maxey led the way for Philly with a career-high 39 points on 18/33 shooting in 41 minutes. Maxey was able to get just about anything he wanted on offense, showing off his keen abilities to get to the hoop. The most impressive part of Maxey’s game, however, was his floater, which at times seemed to be unguardable as he marched down the lane. In a game that could have been difficult for the Sixers to find something positive, Tyrese Maxey threw his name into the conversation as the steal of the draft, and should expect to see more than the 15 minutes a night he was averaging moving forward.

2. New-look Suns are already showing the chemistry & crunch time success that can get them over the hump

COLORS KEY | FULL SUNS FUTURE OUTLOOK

The Phoenix Suns were the Cinderella story of the bubble last season, as they departed with an 8-0 record. Devin Booker was playing at an all-NBA level, and although the team just missed out on the playoffs, they were looking to be a potential sleeper going into this season. They solidified that theory in the offseason, trading for Chris Paul from the Thunder and signing Jae Crowder away from the Heat. They’re just 10 games into their young season, but the Suns are looking like a legitimate threat to be a top team in the West.

Phoenix is 7-3 following a gritty win in Indiana against the now 6-3 Pacers. Booker is picking up where he left off in Orlando, averaging 22 points on 48% shooting, while Paul is averaging over 13 points and eight assists per contest. The real surprise, however, has been the play of Mikal Bridges, who scored a career-high 34 on Saturday, and has developed into the effective 2-way starter the Suns traded for on draft night just three offseasons ago.

Phoenix has seven guys averaging double figures this season, and has reached the century-mark in each of its first ten contests. There were many questions on whether the Suns dominance in the bubble would translate to a normal regular season, especially with major reinforcements added in between. Early on, Monty Williams already has his team playing like a cohesive unit as they sit at the top of the Western Conference, tied with the reigning champs for the No.1 seed.

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