Tyrese Maxey walked the halls of Xfinity Mobile Arena Monday evening elated. The NBA named him an Eastern Conference All-Star starter five hours before the Philadelphia 76ers’ game against the Indiana Pacers. Instead of being complacent, Maxey showcased further development in a key area that guided him to his second All-Star appearance.
The guard tallied a career-high eight steals in Philadelphia’s (23-18) 113-104 win against Indiana (10-34) tonight. Maxey’s increased scoring has received most of the media’s attention this season – and rightfully so. But his perimeter defense has noticeably improved from years past and was a swing factor in a game that came down to the last 12 minutes.
After surrendering 250 points in their last two games against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the 76ers’ defense stabilized tonight – it just took a minute. Indiana bested Philadelphia’s point-of-attack defense, shooting 52.4% from the field in the second quarter to snatch a 10-point lead. The 76ers’ perimeter defense spent the last two quarters recalibrating, and none other than Maxey led the effort.
Nick Nurse’s philosophy heavily relies on defensive playmaking and Maxey did just that, accounting for four of Philadelphia’s eight fourth-quarter steals. The two-time All-Star fearlessly sniped passing lanes, navigated screens and crashed in from the weakside to force turnovers. This prompted a 21-4 76ers run that closed out Indiana, snapping their two-game losing skid.
The 76ers hounded the Pacers into turnovers from the start, but their defensive discipline and fast-paced offense made all of the difference in the fourth period. Philadelphia totaled 28 points using Indiana’s 22 giveaways and outscored the Pacers by 17 in transition. The 76ers beat Indiana at its own game – albeit without Tyrese Haliburton (achilles) and had composure down the stretch despite a lackadaisical start.
In a larger scope, Maxey’s defensive highlight reel validated what 76ers fans already knew: his evolution as a perimeter defender. His performance Monday was not a one-off feat as he developed a knack for reading passing lanes and picking his spots to hunt for steals. To go along with his career high in steals, he had 29 points on 12-24 shooting from the field and eight assists.
Limited by a six-foot, two-inch frame, the guard will never defend the opposing team’s best player, but he can be a neutral to plus defender by polishing his defensive playmaking. Nurse’s defensive scheme thrives on forcing turnovers to generate fastbreak opportunities, a controversy in itself. However, this system best suits Maxey and hides his point-of-attack struggles to the highest degree, having VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes and Paul George guarding the wings alongside him.