Sixers: 3 reasons you shouldn’t panic over losing streak

Why you shouldn’t panic over Sixers losing streak: Tyrese Maxey’s arrival

The Sixers have not been winners lately, but that has been no fault of Tyrese Maxey. It would appear the 21-year-old point guard has taken his second-season leap, going from reliable spark plug to arguably the team’s No. 2 scorer behind Joel Embiid. Philadelphia’s losing streak was brought on by injuries and a cold spell, but it gave Maxey the opportunity to step into a feature role and truly establish his importance to the team. That is nothing if not a silver lining.

At this point, it’s hard to imagine Maxey ever relinquishing the starting point guard role. He looks too good. One could chalk this up to small sample size, but Maxey’s growth rate has always exceeded the average young point guard. His work ethic, ball security, and base skill set all suggest real stardom on the horizon.

It’s rare for 6-foot-2 point guards to score with Maxey’s combination of volume and efficiency. Over the last four games, he is averaging 26.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from deep (on 5.5 attempts per game, no less). Maxey’s confidence has improved at all three levels, and he’s already one of the best guard finishers in the NBA. His touch is finally translating out to the 3-point line, and he’s doing all of this while averaging less than one turnover in 40.2 minutes per game.

If anything, the Sixers now need to be more conscious of Maxey’s workload. Injuries and COVID have given them little choice, but Maxey can’t be playing 40 minutes a night all season. The Sixers have to save him for the playoffs.

It’s too early to proclaim Maxey as the undisputed No. 2 option — that title belongs to Tobias Harris — and a Ben Simmons return would certainly complicate matters. But the truth is simple: Maxey is a stud, and he’s an important part of what the Sixers are building, now and for the future. It’s hard to be too mad about four losses when it has set up Maxey’s NBA ascent.