The Philadelphia 76ers have raced off to a hot 4-0 start, topping the Eastern Conference at this early juncture of the season. Most of the credit belongs to All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey, who has come out with guns blazing to kick off his sixth season as a pro. He has embraced being the No. 1 option on the team, and unlike last season, he has been dominating right from the get go.
Through four games, Maxey has registered averages of 37.5 points and 8.3 assists per outing, all while draining 45.5 percent of his shots and 47.7 percent from three point territory. He has assumed the flamethrower role, but he is doing it more efficiently than he did during the previous campaign where he struggled putting up efficient shooting nights due to opposing defenses doubling down on him.
If we are being honest, Maxey should be an early candidate for the Most Valuable Player award. He has been that electric to start the season, and while his numbers will eventually regress, there is nothing certain that prevents him from maintaining his dominant form.
And if so, then the soon-to-be 25-year-old might just force everyone in league circles into uncomfortable conversations.
Tyrese Maxey has a strong case to be considered as one of the best point guards in the league
At this point in time, it would be difficult to name a handful of point guards who have been better than Maxey. In fact, the rightful question may actually be this one — is there any point guard better than him at this very moment?
If we are talking holistically, there are only two — reigning Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and if we are to ignore health and availability, Luka Doncic. Maxey is the leading scorer in the entire league and has taken a significant step as a playmaker. Right now, he has it all as a floor general and scorer.
Maxey has also been better than Stephen Curry, Jalen Brunson, and Donovan Mitchell — three players who have become regulars in the All-NBA teams.
Sooner than later, Maxey could even threaten to knock SGA and Luka out of their current footing. There is nothing definitive to suggest that Maxey has stopped developing, and he still has a lot of room for improvement when it comes to optimizing his shot diet and being a key factor on defense.
That might be a hot take, but biases aside, is it really that crazy?
Well, given how he has been playing, it is closer to a rational estimation than you think.