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It’s Becoming Increasingly Clear that the Sixers are Tyrese Maxey’s Team
By Sean Barnard
Published:
The Philadelphia 76ers are off to a 4-1 start to the season, tied for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. After an offseason filled with forced skepticism and concerns that there was only one basketball for all the star-studded additions, it’s been impressive how quickly the hierarchy of this Sixers team seems to have already taken shape.
Joel Embiid has been the face of the franchise and its foundation on both ends of the floor for over a decade. LeBron James is a four-time MVP and four-time Finals MVP, while Jaylen Brown brings a résumé that includes a Finals MVP of his own and five All-Star appearances. But through the first five games of the year, it is abundantly clear that everyone is on the same page: This is Tyrese Maxey’s team.
Just looking at the raw counting stats, Maxey leads the Sixers with 28.4 points per game, along with 4.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Embiid adds 21.5 points of his own while Brown is contributing 20.6 points per game through the early parts of the season. Maxey is also headlining the workload, leading the team with 37.6 minutes per game, which is 1.2 more than the next most on the team, Brown. The 188 total minutes that Maxey has logged not only lead the Sixers, but the entire NBA to start the year.
It is also worth mentioning that Brown’s 182 total minutes ranks second in the entire NBA. There is a fair conversation to be had with Nick Nurse about leaning on the stars a bit too heavily at the start of the season. Embiid is currently playing 35.8 minutes per game through the first four games he has suited up, which would mark a career-high for the 32-year-old if he sustains this for a season and currently ranks second among centers.
The bench has already taken some injury hits. Ariel Hukporti suffered a season-ending injury in his first preseason game, while Dominick Barlow and Tacko Fall have yet to take the floor. Jabari Walker also suffered a knee injury in his third game of the season, which has played a role in Embiid’s inflated workload.
As exciting as every game is for this Sixers team, it must be remembered that the NBA is a marathon, not a sprint, and Nurse has lost sight of this in the past with far less talent. Gassing out the stars in the early stages of the season is the quickest way to derail the championship aspirations this organization possesses.
But Maxey’s shot volume is also extremely notable. He is launching a team-high 21.2 field-goal attempts per game through the opening five games, four more than any other member of the roster, and ranks eighth in the league in that category. Maxey has led the team in field-goal attempts in all five games so far. His 7.4 three-point attempts per game are 1.2 more than Anfernee Simons, who ranks second on the team, and no other member of the starting lineup is taking more than 5.8 threes per game.
Maxey’s responsibility as a scorer has been especially evident in the fourth quarter and in big moments. He was instrumental in closing out Wednesday night’s comeback win over the Pacers, scoring 17 points in the final period. Maxey was vital to Philadelphia outscoring Indiana 39-21 in the fourth quarter, tying the game at 94-94 with a layup before delivering a late scoring punch that included a pair of dagger three-pointers:
These types of fourth-quarter takeovers are quickly becoming a theme for Maxey. Although it came in a losing effort, he scored 18 of the Sixers’ 24 fourth-quarter points in the previous matchup against the Pistons. The Kentucky product is averaging 11.0 points per game in the fourth quarter alone, leading the entire NBA.
This clearly is something that is intentional by the Sixers and directly encouraged by his star teammates, as Maxey alluded to postgame:
Maxey deserves more credit than anyone for making it possible for this star-studded, championship-contending roster to come together. His rapid evolution into a legitimate co-star has helped keep the championship window open throughout the Embiid era. He has improved year after year, going from an undersized guard with questions about his shooting coming into the league to an All-NBA-caliber face of the franchise in six seasons.
The fact that Maxey has not deferred to the star names surrounding him, and that James himself talked openly about what a crucial part the 25-year-old was in his decision to come to Philadelphia, speak volumes about the way he is viewed in the league:
Flash back to media day before last season. The outlook for the organization had reached a bleak point following a year in which just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Despite the offseason splash to bring in Paul George, the Sixers limped to a 24-58 record. Embiid’s injury issues reached a new low, and the outlook for his career was more uncertain than ever. The team was severely limited on a nightly basis and often unwatchable for the general fan base. Guerschon Yabusele led the team in win shares, and landing V.J. Edgecombe in the draft thanks to an unexpectedly high pick was about the only other positive to emerge from the season.
But Maxey faced the music heading into the following year. When asked at the previous season’s media day what he took away from the disastrous campaign and what needed to change moving forward, the former Most Improved Player answered with a maturity well beyond his years.
“I think the biggest thing I’m trying to accomplish is: we need a standard,” Maxey stated. “Like, this is who we are every single day, no matter who plays, no matter who doesn’t play. When you see Philadelphia 76ers, this is what you see; you’re gonna see that team every single night. Every single time you turn the TV on, every single time you step foot in whatever arena we’re playing in, this is the type of team you’re going to get, and this is the type of culture you’re going to get.”
There will continue to be growing pains as this Sixers team figures out the best way to optimize its talent. Maxey will not bail out the team every night the way he has so far. But he deserves more credit than he has received for helping establish that standard and backing it up with his production on the floor.
It may be time to start coming to terms with the fact that this Sixers team will only go as far as Maxey will take them.
Sean Barnard has covered the Philadelphia 76ers and general Philly Sports for over six years in a variety of roles and for multiple outlets. Currently works as a Content Writer for DraftKings Network, Sixers/NBA Insider for Philadelphia's Fox Sports the Gambler, and co-host of Sixers & Phillies Digest on Youtube. Forever Trusting the Process.