In Tyrese Maxey, the Philadelphia 76ers have the best guard in the Eastern Conference. That is now crystal clear and not up for discussion.
The 76ers racked up an impressive win against the Milwaukee Bucks on the road on the second night of a back-to-back, all thanks to Maxey exploding for 54 points and nine assists. The All-Star guard set a new career-high in points in a single game, sending a strong reminder to the rest of the league that he should be hailed as the best guard in the East.
After a relatively down year last season, Maxey has made that much-awaited superstar leap. He is the second-leading scorer in the league while also being in the top ten in assists per game, addressing one of the main gripes in his game as a floor general.
Sure, the Bucks were missing their best player (and really, the only player better than Maxey right now in their most recent East) in Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the 76ers had to play this one without Joel Embiid and with Paul George on a strict minutes restriction. Still, as he has all season long, Maxey has risen to the plate and then some.
Tyrese Maxey has become the best of the best in the East
Maxey was clearly adversely affected last season when both of his co-stars missed the majority of games due to their respective injuries. Coming off a season where he won the Most Improved Player award, his efficiency took a hit, and his decision-making late in games was criticized by many.
However, with this leap he has taken, he has quelled all of those doubts about his viability as a franchise player. The 76ers are now slowly going away from Embiid as their No. 1 option, and Maxey is definitely more than ready to take that mantle moving forward.
By now, Maxey should be a no-brainer selection not only for the All-Star team, but more importantly, in the All-NBA team. One might even argue that he should be near the top of MVP discussions, and that is definitely where he is headed as long as the 76ers keep finding ways to register wins.
Tyrese Maxey has already eclipsed his contemporaries at the point guard position. Really, only the reigning MVP and the man in Los Angeles have a strong case over him at this juncture. The 76ers cannot take this for granted.