The Philadelphia 76ers are finally starting to make noise. While they certainly do not deserve much accalim given that they still have a lot of ctaching up to do, it would be highly ignorant to simply toss them aside as the biggest disappointment of 2024 without also acknowledging the fact that they are trending in the right direction while overcoming adversity after adversity.
A major catalyst to their much improved play as of late is Tyrese Maxey. Following a slow start to the season just a season after bagging the Most Improved Player award in 2023-24, he is starting to turn his personal campaign around and show everyone why he was expected and poised to make the jump to superstardom.
In his last eight games, Maxey has registered 29.3 points and seven assists per outing on 45.1 percent shooting from the field, including a blistering 41 percent conversion rate from rainbow country on pretty high volume. Even more importantly, even with Joel Embiid back at the helm, Maxey has emerged as the 76ers’ resident closer, carrying the team on his back in clutch situations.
Luka’s injury could allow 76ers star Tyrese Maxey to snag an All-NBA Team berth
Maxey is slowly making his case to make the All-Star team anew on February, but to be quite frank, that is already the floor with him at this point in his career. To legitimize his leap, he has to aim higher, and that necessarily includes making the All-NBA Teams at the end of the season.
The NBA has moved away from positions therein, but nevertheless, Maxey faces pretty stiff competition to make the exlusive team,. Having said that, Luka Doncic, a fixture in the All-NBA Team, has now been effectively disqualified from making it thanks to a calf injury that would sideline him for at least a month, meaning that Maxey will have one less major competitor to worry about.
Of course, it would still take a ton for Maxey to make the list, but there are pathways to make that possible. Catalyzing a big leap from the 76ers in the standings would make for a good start to mount a legitimate bid for a spot, and if he continues to play at the level he has been in recently, he should be in serious consideration to make an All-NBA Team for the first time in his young career.
The Philadelphia 76ers don’t really have the luxury of pondering on individual accolades right now, but getting Tyrese Maxey’s rewarded for his steady ascent would be a nice cherry on top for what could be an eventful season for the franchise.