The Miami Heat are in a playoff battle with the Philadelphia 76ers and now lead the series 3-2 heading into Thursday’s Game 6.
One player who has been a constant thorn in the sides of Heat players during the series has been young guard Tyrese Maxey.
Maxey, who is in just his second season in the NBA, has already proven to be one of the better young guards in the league. He’s played with guts and skill throughout the playoffs and is a big reason why the 76ers are still alive.
Interestingly, the Heat could have had Maxey in the 2020 NBA Draft, and Maxey recently admitted himself that he thought Miami was going to select him before the organization opted to draft Precious Achiuwa.
“I thought Miami would take me at No. 20,” Maxey told Yahoo Sports. “Look, I was blessed and happy to be drafted, first and foremost. I thank the Lord every day for this opportunity. It was my dream to be drafted. But also looking at it as a competitor, I felt like I was good enough to be drafted at a higher position. When teams pass up on you, you never forget about it.”
He listed a few other teams that he thought might grab him before the 76ers finally snagged him with the No. 21 overall pick.
“Miami, Orlando and San Antonio. Those were the three teams I thought would draft me,” Maxey said. “When I started slipping, I was upset, but I kept reminding myself that my dream of getting drafted was coming true.”
The Heat drafted Achiuwa with the No. 20 overall pick that year. While he showed flashes of solid play with Miami, he was traded away by the Heat after his rookie year. With the Toronto Raptors this season, he showed signs of improvement.
As for Maxey, Heat fans can only imagine how impactful he would’ve been with Miami. Though the team already has a solid amount of depth at the guard positions, getting a talent like Maxey is not easy.
Maxey and the Sixers will try to the even the series against Miami on Thursday. If the 76ers win the game, the series will go back to South Florida for what would surely be an exciting Game 7.
