After spending time within the Shadow Of The Beard, Tyrese Maxey is beginning to discover his groove because the Philadelphia 76ers Level Guard.
By Chris Murray
For the Philadelphia Sunday Solar
ABOVE PHOTO: Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey performs throughout an NBA basketball sport, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Picture/Matt Slocum)
Whereas I do know that it’s nonetheless early within the 82-game NBA season, there’s quite a bit to be enthusiastic about on the subject of the Philadelphia 76ers thus far this season.
For starters, the Sixers at the moment have one of the best file within the NBA after successful their eighth in a row on Sunday towards the Indiana Pacers on the Wells Fargo Middle by a rating of 137-126. Whereas it was by no means a tribute to defensive basketball, it was the workforce’s first win within the NBA’s In-Season Event.
However maybe the most important purpose for Sixers followers to be excited is the continued emergence of level guard Tyrese Maxey.
Not solely has the previous College of Kentucky star made followers really feel even higher about saying goodbye and good riddance to level guard James Harden, however on the fee Maxey is performing, NBA superstardom and a potential All-Star Sport nod aren’t off the desk.
Within the win over the Pacers, Maxey poured in a career-high 50 factors on 20-of-32 taking pictures and was virtually undefendable.
Want a three-pointer? Maxey was 7-of-11 from behind the arc. Mid-range jumper? He had you coated?
Must shut down a run from the high-flying Pacers and take again their temporary third-quarter lead? Maxey was your man, utilizing floaters within the lane and mid-range jumpers to cease the bleeding.
For Sixers Head Coach Nick Nurse, it was a tour-de-force.
“I believe he simply blended in a lot of what he does so effectively,” he mentioned Sixers head coach Nick Nurse. “I believed he blasted to the basket with pace a bunch of instances after which he did his step-back or separation for threes. It was a heavy dose of each. He’s actually laborious to protect.“
“It’s actually laborious when he’s that quick one and he’s so lethal a shooter the opposite path,” Nurse continued. “Which one are we going to strive to remove? He was aggressive tonight.”
Maxey additionally crammed the stat field with 5 assists, seven rebounds, and three blocked photographs together with an enormous block of Indiana level guard Tyrese Halliburton’s tried layup as he was flying to the basket.
“I used to dam photographs quite a bit in highschool, however I form of went away from it,” Maxey mentioned throughout his postgame press convention. “I simply exit and there and attempt to play extraordinarily laborious. That’s a troublesome play to make. It was a play I needed to make.”
Suffice it to say, Maxey has been the consummate level guard. Up to now this season, Maxey is averaging near 26 factors and seven.5 assists per sport. He’s additionally taking pictures 39% from three-point vary. He has 4 of his 5 profession double-doubles through the first 9 video games of this season.
“It’s been nice thus far,” he mentioned. “I’m simply attempting to be aggressive whether or not that’s scoring passing, getting my teammates concerned, no matter. So long as it contributes to successful, I’m comfortable. “
And nobody has been extra impressed with Maxey’s efficiency thus far this season than the NBA’s reigning MVP Joel Embiid, who scored 37 factors with 13 rebounds and 7 assists within the win over Indiana.
“It was superb to look at,” Embiid mentioned. “I’ve had a bunch of 50s, but it surely’s enjoyable to look at another person do it, particularly as a result of after I do it, I often have 20 free throws. (Maxey’s) shot-making means, step-backs, crossovers. He goes again to the work he put on this offseason together with his coach and it’s paying off. I’m so comfortable for him.”
Maxey is the ninth participant in Sixers historical past to attain 50 factors in a sport. He joins the ranks of gamers like Embiid, Wilt Chamberlain, Moses Malone, and Allen Iverson to attain 50 or extra factors in a sport.
Since coming into the NBA because the 21st choose in 2020 NBA Draft, Maxey has gotten progressively higher as a shooter and ball-handler with annually he has been within the league regardless of listening to quite a lot of folks questioning his means to succeed on the NBA stage.
“I believe I used to be at all times an honest shooter in highschool and stuff,” Maxey mentioned. “Having folks doubt me or no matter retains me humble, retains me ready to enter the gymnasium each single offseason and each single day and work on my sport, work on my craft and attempt to be the very best model of myself. “
To see what Maxey does subsequent, watch the Philadelphia 76ers tackle the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night time at 7:30pm on NBC Sports activities Philadelphia.
