On the night of the 2020 NBA Draft, general managers decided that there were 20 players who were going to have better careers than Tyrese Maxey. Just four years later, Maxey has established himself as one of the best young players in the Association today.
After four years of constant improvement, Maxey has reached a star-affirming level—but there's another step for him to take in 2024-25.
Maxey broke out during his second NBA season, averaging 17.5 points, 4.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.8 three-point field goals made on a slash line of .485/.427/.866. In year three, he upped his scoring, but saw a decrease in his facilitating and rebounding marks while shooting at a clip of .481/.434/.845.
It was in 2023-24, his fourth season in the NBA, that Maxey put it all together, setting career-best marks at 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 steal, and 3.0 three-point field goals made.
Maxey was rewarded for his breakout season with an All-Star Game appearance and the Most Improved Player award. It was a remarkable display, with few feats as impressive as the 37.5 minutes he played per appearance to help compensate for Joel Embiid missing 43 games.
The question is: What must happen for Maxey to take the next step from All-Star to All-NBA during the 2024-25 season?
1. Philadelphia must win 50-plus games
It's rare that multiple players from one team earn All-NBA nods during a single season. The exceptions to the rule are typically players who performed at superstar levels on teams that helped set the pace for the rest of the Association.
If Maxey is going to join an ideally healthy Embiid on an All-NBA team in 2024-25, then the 76ers will need to win at least 50 games and finish in the top four in the Eastern Conference.
It helps Maxey's case that players who appear in fewer than 65 games are ineligible for an All-NBA selection. Even under those conditions, however, only two players earned All-NBA status while playing for the same team in 2023-24: Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
The Los Angeles Lakers only won 47 games, yes, but Davis was an All-Defensive First Team honoree who averaged 24.7 points per game, and James has a name that speaks for itself.
For Philadelphia to have two players on an All-NBA team that no longer prioritizes positions, they'll need to be one of the best teams in the Association. It's only then that the door will open for Maxey to secure that career-defining achievement.
Perhaps that's an unfair burden to place on any one player, but with a Big Three that's expected to win a championship, 50 wins is the minimum expectation already.
2. Tyrese Maxey must restore his efficiency
Holding a decrease in efficiency against Maxey would be foolish considering the fact that Embiid missed 43 games. Maxey was also trusted to occupy the role of a go-to scorer for the first time in his career, and maintained an impressive level of efficacy within it.
If Maxey is hoping to make the leap from All-Star to All-NBA, however, he'll need to find a way to continue producing as he did while returning to his previous level of efficiency.
A slash line of .450/.373/.868 is nothing to scoff at, but Maxey won't be considered for All-NBA status on the same basis as No. 1 players. If Embiid is healthy, then the expectation will be for Maxey to produce with elite efficiency, especially with another All-Star in Paul George alongside him.
Thankfully, Maxey proved in previous seasons that he can score as efficiently as anyone in the NBA when Embiid is healthy.
Between 2021-22 and 2022-23, Maxey recorded a cumulative slash line of .483/.431/.856. In 2022-23, when he shot at a clip of .481/.434/.845, he attempted 15.2 shots per game—not far from where he should be in 2024-25 considering the presence of both Embiid and George.
After taking 20.2 shots per game in 2023-24, it's fair to believe that a more refined role with two co-stars will yield even more efficient results.
3. Tyrese Maxey needs to run an elite offense
An argument can be made that no one will be more important to the success of the 76ers' Big Three than Maxey. Embiid is the franchise player and George will help set the tone along the defensive perimeter, but Maxey will be tasked with running the offense.
With the ball in his hands and superstar mouths to be fed, Maxey will deserve every ounce of the All-NBA praise if he can run an efficient and coherent 76ers offense in 2024-25.
Maxey took a significant step forward as a facilitator in 2024-25, averaging a career-best 6.2 assists to just 1.7 turnovers per game. He also helped Philadelphia produce an offensive rating of 116.2, which ranked in the top half of the NBA.
Considering the 76ers played 43 games without Embiid, that's an impressive feat unto itself—making it even more intriguing to imagine how this Big Three will flourish.
Compounded by the addition of quality role players such as Eric Gordon and Caleb Martin, Philadelphia has the tools to thrive offensively. Maxey won't be the only player tasked with stabilizing the offense, but he'll continue to initiate and make sure his teammates are in the right places.
If Maxey can run a top-tier offense, improve his efficiency, and help the 76ers win at least 50 games, then the first of many All-NBA nods to come will be all but inevitable.