5 reasons for the Sixers’ recent struggles

5 reasons for the Sixers’ recent struggles: Tyrese Maxey’s slump

Tyrese Maxey‘s sophomore All-Star campaign has hit its first real snag. The 21-year-old thrived during the absence of Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris, but the return of Philadelphia’s stars has left him looking somewhat aimless offensively.

Over his last five games, the Kentucky product is averaging 14.5 points and 5.6 assists on abysmal .299/.143/.926 shooting splits. He was bound for a slight cool-down, but Maxey’s lack of assertiveness in the offense has been of genuine concern.

Even early in the season, it was clear Maxey has a ways to go playing off the ball. He’s tremendous as the showrunner, using his elite first step and feather-soft touch to penetrate the defense and score at will inside the arc. When he’s cast as the No. 2 or 3 option, however, Maxey struggles. He has been far too passive since Embiid’s return, and some of the onus is on Doc Rivers to make sure Maxey is more involved. He is so clearly central to what the Sixers are doing, and should be used as such.

Maxey is the second most important offensive player on the team. Doc Rivers began staggering him with the bench unit in Wednesday’s game — a wise decision — but at some point, Maxey will have to assert himself while playing next to Embiid. Philadelphia’s offense will always run through the 7-footer, and frankly, Embiid is a tricky star to play with. But Maxey has to figure it out, and conversely, Embiid will have to make adjustments to accentuate Maxey’s skill set too.