There isn’t much that a team with championship aspirations would like to retain from a 24-win season. But for the Philadelphia 76ers, their losses and injuries birthed a new hope that will keep them competitive for years to come – Tyrese Maxey’s ascension to superstardom.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said on “NBA Today” on Monday that Philadelphia views Maxey as the face of the franchise amidst Joel Embiid and Paul Georges’ unavailability caused by injuries. The 25-year-old has surfaced as one of the NBA’s most elite combo guards and his efforts have prevented the 76ers’ from falling to .500 with a 10-9 record.
“I think the feeling is that this is Tyrese Maxey’s team,” Shelburne said. “And over the summer it started to turn that page because people just frankly didn’t know when Paul George and Joel Embiid would be able to play. So the Sixers had to pivot and it turns out Tyrese Maxey is really good and he is the franchise now.”
Maxey got even better.
Philadelphia saw its 2024-25 campaign largely derailed by injuries to George and Embiid, who played 41 and 19 games respectively. The 76ers resultantly finished with a 24-58 record – their worst since the 2016-17 season. Not even Maxey’s then-career-high 26.3 points per game kept the team afloat as he struggled to weather scoring and playmaking responsibilities.
Fast forward one year, and the one-time all-star has flipped the script.
Although injuries continue to limit Embiid and George’s availability, Maxey has kept Philadelphia competitive. His play elevated to a level that most thought improbable, as he is averaging career-highs of 32.3 points – the third-best mark league-wide – 7.6 assists and 4.8 rebounds. Maxey’s refined three-level shot creation and playmaking has well-equipped him to handle any coverage a defense throws at him, which wasn’t the case last season.
But, the guard’s jaw-dropping success came at a price – his legs. Maxey ranks first in the NBA in minutes played with 773 and is experiencing a career-high usage rate at 30.2%, a stat that measures the percentage of a team’s plays in which the player is utilized. Embiid and George’s absences have overburdened Maxey offensively, but his talents have nevertheless prevailed.
It’s statistically Maxey’s team
Fans grew accustomed to Philadelphia’s production declining the moment Embiid rested. Maxey now has a similar effect as the 76ers score 7.3 less points per 100 possessions with him off the floor, which would rank them fifth-worst in the NBA in offensive rating at 110.1. The discrepancy traces back to Philadelphia’s lack of advantage creators with Embiid and George sidelined.
The 76ers’ 142-134 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday was the first time that Maxey, Embiid and George played together this season. Though Embiid and George’s minute restrictions gave way to Maxey scoring a game-high 44 points, Philadelphia’s offense had more variety in stints. Embiid’s mix of post-ups and pick-and-pops and George’s off-the-dribble scoring momentarily decreased Maxey’s offensive responsibility.
But, they must remain healthy to shake their minutes restriction and alleviate Maxey’s immense offensive burden for good. Regardless, the 25-year-old proved that he can play at a superstar level when called upon and his gradual improvement will only extend Philadelphia’s timeline. In case there was any doubt, his nickname, “The Franchise,” now has true meaning.