76ers' revamped roster raised a question that Tyrese Maxey is answering

After the Philadelphia 76ers added Jaylen Brown and LeBron James to the roster over the summer, questions arose about how they'd balance that star power with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. More specifically, whether they would have a clear go-to star, or if it'd be more of a joint effort. Well, in their first five games of the season, Maxey is answering that question.

Entering the fourth quarter of Wednesday's game in Indiana, the Sixers were down 88-75 after shooting 5-of-21 in the third quarter, getting outscored by the shorthanded Pacers, 36-13. They needed someone to turn to, and, unsurprisingly, that someone was Maxey.

He scored 17 of his 27 points in the final 12 minutes, shooting 4-of-8 from the field (2-of-4 from three) after making only four shots in the first three quarters. Maxey shifted into high gear in the fourth under pressure, and his heroics led to a 114-109 win, putting Philadelphia at 4-1.

Maxey isn't just building an early MVP case; he's establishing himself as the Sixers' primary star. We all heard the jokes about Philadelphia needing two or three basketballs to make everyone happy, but it turns out it just needs one. And it needs to be in Maxey's hands.

Tyrese Maxey is shining for the 76ers

Philadelphia is averaging 29.6 points per game in the fourth quarter, tied with Miami and Minnesota for sixth in the NBA. However, the Sixers are averaging the second-most points per starting five, at 25. Maxey accounts for nearly half of that, averaging 11 points per game in the fourth.

He knows how to take over a game and has the clutch gene to prove it. He hit back-to-back threes in the final 1:15 against the Pacers.

The sample size is small, but Maxey is averaging a league-high 3.5 points in the clutch this season (in at least four games), and, more importantly, the Sixers have won all four of those games.

Championship teams have a go-to scorer that can step up and go to work down the stretch, and for Philadelphia, Maxey is that guy. But the beauty of the Sixers' roster is that they have a few more of those guys, which helps draw some attention away from Maxey. That doesn't just include their other stars, as we saw on Wednesday when Anfernee Simons hit two big threes.

The Sixers have more offensive weapons than any other team in the league, which is what makes them so dangerous (and not just on paper), but Maxey is the shiniest one in their toolbox.

You could say Philadelphia is Maxey's team, since he's averaging a team-high 28.4 points, but that doesn't tell the whole story. For the Sixers to get where they want to be, they'll need an all-hands-on-deck approach and the sacrifice we all heard too much about all summer. The hierarchy can shift around on any given night, but more often than not, Maxey should be sitting at the top.

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