The All-Star break is now officially over, and the Philadelphia 76ers are slated to resume play tonight against the New York Knicks. The next 28 games will decide where the team ends up heading into the postseason — a glaringly crucial factor that could determine their fate.
As we inch closer to the finish line, here are four bold predictions for the 76ers for the rest of the season.
1. 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey will lead the Eastern Conference in scoring post All-Star break
Joel Embiid’s return from injury is uncertain, but what’s definite is that Tyrese Maxey will now rise as the alpha guy on the interim on the offensive end. And after his first experience playing in the All-Star game, look for him to erupt even more as a scorer and lead the East in points per outing during that stretch.
Maxey has registered 25.5 points per outing in games where Embiid was sidelined, but that should increase moving forward. More concentric and laser-focused defense from opponents could make life tougher for him, but he will have the necessary volume to turn in nightly explosions and give the 76ers a better chance to win games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Donovan Mitchell are the two-highest scorers in the East on a per-game basis at 30.8 and 28.4 points per contest, respectively, but Maxey has the tools to surpass those numbers and go much further than his current 25.7 points scoring average.