NBA Twitter couldn’t believe how good Tyrese Maxey looked in his debut

Tyrese Maxey balled out in his Philadelphia 76ers debut on Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards.

For some reason, Kentucky Wildcats guard Tyrese Maxey fell all the way down to the 21st overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. The Philadelphia 76ers saw Maxey on the board and didn’t hesitate to select him. Sixers fans saw flashes of his brilliance throughout the preseason, but they weren’t prepared for his official NBA debut.

Maxey came off the bench during Wednesday’s game against the Washington Wizards and immediately balled out in his nearly seven minutes of action in the first half.

Of course, Twitter users acted accordingly, and that was by freaking out and gawking over the rookie’s play.

The 20-year-old managed to recorded 6 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists while shooting 3-for-4 from the field in the first half — not a bad start to his first regular-season game in a 76ers uniform! The stats don’t leap off the page, but his NBA readiness immediately launched him to the No. 1 trend on Twitter after just seven minutes of playing time.

Maxey became known for his ability to shoot from and to find the open man during his lone season at Kentucky. Through 31 games, Maxey averaged 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 42.7 percent from the field. Yet, he fell in the draft behind fellow guards Tyrese Haliburton, Cole Anthony and Kira Lewis Jr.

The young guard finds himself in a favorable situation. He gets to play for a win-now team and learn from former NBA champion head coach Doc Rivers. That, and he’s not expected to be a huge difference-maker in the starting lineup, instead gaining his experience off the bench. Eventually, he can become a starter for the Sixers down the road. But if Wednesday’s game taught us anything, it’s that Maxey will be a fun player to watch for the foreseeable future.