Why Tyrese Maxey is X-factor for Sixers’ title hopes

If you have been paying attention to the Philadelphia 76ers this season, even casually, you probably noticed the emergence of Tyrese Maxey.

Tyrese Maxey hit the ground running last year as rookie, that’s not to say he didn’t struggle at all, but it became obvious that he was a steal for the Sixers with the 21st pick in the 2020 draft out of Kentucky. I don’t know that anyone quite saw this much of a major jump coming in year two.

Tyrese Maxey’s ascent makes him an important piece to the Sixers’ postseason puzzle.

Maxey has started all but one game this year after making just eight starts in his rookie season and he increased  all his stats across the board. Tyrese Maxey has more than doubled his scoring to 17.6 points per game, up from eight per game as a rookie. He has doubled his assists and rebounds. Perhaps most impressive, however, is that he has increased his 3-point shooting from from 30 percent as a rookie to 42 percent in year two.

Philadelphia came into this season needing Maxey to take a jump forward and expecting more out of him. The Sixers probably would’ve been satisfied with Maxey settling into the fourth option on this team and just showing improvement. Maxey has arguably surpassed Tobias Harris as the third option offensively — clearly a distant third behind Harden and Embiid, but a third option nonetheless.

Teams already need to decide who to try to double team between James Harden and Joel Embiid. There are going to be plenty of wide open shots for the other guys on the floor. Maxey is far more than just a shooter but the big leap he has made as a 3-point shooter makes him the perfect fit for what the Sixers need.

Everyone knows about Joel Embiid and James Harden and even Tobias Harris, but Tyrese Maxey is the X-Factor on this team. Opposing defenses can only devote so much attention to each player when there are three high-level talents, let alone now four guys of that caliber with Maxey’s progression.

A deep playoff run for the Philadelphia 76ers this year may end up falling directly on the shoulders of Harris and Maxey. One of them will need to really step up and provide a solid third option. It looks like Maxey has already surpassed and asserted himself into that role. Even if Maxey is a great fourth option, the Sixers playoffs hopes may come down to what Maxey is able to do when a team tries to commit to taking out, as much as they can, Embiid or Harden.