The Philadelphia 76ers are aiming higher this season, and without a shadow of doubt, Tyrese Maxey will be a major part of whatever the team seeks to achieve. An argument could be made that right now, he is the best player on the team all things considered. And true enough, their opponents so far have been treating him as such.
Last season, Maxey actually turned in a down year. While his counting stats were still eye-popping, having registered 26.3 points and six assists per outing, his efficiency took a hit. He drained just 43.7 percent of his field-goal attempts, easily the worst mark in his career, while also draining just 33.7 percent of his three-point tries, his second-worst mark ever.
But aside from the raw numbers, his overall play from an optics standpoint was not as inspiring as fans would have liked. Fresh off an All-Star year in which he likewise won the Most Improved Player award, he took a major step back last season, sometimes even perplexing fans with his wild decision-making, especially in crunch time.
The 76ers might be looking at a different level of play from Tyrese Maxey this season
Of course, he bore the brunt of both Joel Embiid and Paul George missing so much time that defenses became comfortable doubling down on him. But having said said, he seems to be operating on a different mindset this season, and that will only age well for the 76ers.
The team has only played a couple of games thus far, so one cannot say that recurring themes already exist. Still, people have noticed right away that Maxey looks more poised and confident in his skin, having fully embraced his role as the No. 1 guy on the squad over their first two games, which both ended up in thrilling wins.
Even when (or if) Joel Embiid starts veering away from his current minutes restriction, the 76ers have every reason to continue installing Maxey as the nominal alpha. The way the roster is constructed, a guard-heavy attack will only make them more dynamic as a whole and less predictable on offense.
Naturally, Maxey will be the perfect player to launch them into that modus. He is one of the best three-level scorers in the league, and his ability to get downhill fast is reflective of the team’s desired style of play.
Hopefully, Tyrese Maxey can continue building good habits, not only as a co-star, but as a leader. The 76ers need him to return to his All-Star form this season, and without him getting there, the odds fo them contending are close to nil.