Tyrese Maxey has been taking a big step forward this season, and Philadelphia 76ers fans have taken notice. Paul George recently spoke with The Athletic and spoke on his teammates' superstar leap.
During the Sixers' Monday night win over the Los Angeles Clippers, George was watching from the bench as Maxey hit a defender with a crossover and stepped back for a three-pointer. "It was a crazy moment,” George told The Athletic. “I looked at Kyle [Lowry], and I said, ‘Yo, Tyrese really got better.'"
There have been a ton of storylines surrounding this Sixers team, some positive and some not so much. But Tyrese blossoming into a true superstar that is elevating this team in a major way is among the most exciting.
"He’s special," George told The Athletic. “I thought he had a phenomenal year last year, but it got lost in the season that we had as a team. Because of that, people didn’t really talk about him heading into this season. But, when you watch him just take over games and get us timely buckets, it’s special to see. We’re asking him to do so much. We’re asking him to play a ton of minutes and he’s delivering."
Paul George spoke on Tyrese Maxey's continued rise
Everything George said concerning Maxey was spot on. He's been thrust into such a gigantic role for this team, and yet he's producing in all the categories that lead to winning basketball. Joel Embiid's availability has been spotty, and Paul George only just made his season debut. Philadelphia desperately needed Tyrese to step up, and he's exceeded expectations.
Maxey is averaging a career-best 33.4 points per game through 15 contests, while playing a league-leading 40.7 minutes every night. No one in the Association is getting on the floor for longer per game than Tyrese.
He's being asked to do so much in those minutes, but his numbers remain incredible. Maxey is shooting 47% from the floor and 42% from three-point range. His 23.4 field goal attempts per game also lead the league. Tyrese has incredibly been holding up very well on the defensive side of things as well.
As George said, Maxey's improvement this past season likely got a bit lost in the 76ers' disappointing performance as a team. But this year, he's making it positively undeniable how much better he has gotten.
This is exactly what you dream of as a Sixers fan. Philly's young star is reaching an even greater level while continuing to embrace the responsibility that comes with being a franchise cornerstone. Tyrese Maxey is becoming a legitimate superstar, and it's increasingly obvious that this team's future is going to revolve around him.