2 studs, 2 duds from the 76ers’ ugly season-opening loss to the Bucks
Dud: Tyrese Maxey went ice-cold as the lone wolf
With Embiid and George sidelined, all eyes were on Tyrese Maxey to do the heavy lifting offensively. After all, he was the league’s biggest breakout star last season en route to a Most Improved Player campaign, and it was only a matter of time until he reaches superstardom.
That didn’t come on the first game of the season, which is fine. But still, Maxey struggled, and it was as clear as day. Milwaukee tripled down on its defensive focus on Maxey, and the young star simply failed to muster a lot of quality shots, especially against the Bucks’ fearsome duo inside.
Maxey finished the game with 25 points on a meh 10 of 31 shooting from the field, hitting just two of his nine three-point tries. He also only racked up three assists in 39 minutes of gameplay, visibly forcing the issue a little bit too much, though that is perhaps expected due to the team’s lack of other go-to options.
Of course, this is most probably just first-game jitters from the soon-to-be 24-year-old. Embiid and George returning should do wonders for his efficiency, and hopefully, we could see the 76ers’ big three in action together for the first time.