I haven’t talked much about the NBA lately despite basketball being my favorite sport. Like many Sixers fans, I had very little excitement coming into this season after years and years of playoff disappointments. After our 8-2 start to the season, I’m officially excited again, however, and it isn’t just because of how good Embiid has looked this year, but because of the jump Tyrese Maxey has taken. Embiid is currently leading the league in scoring again with 33.1 PPG, but Maxey is actually in the top ten with him with 28.4 PPG. That’s a big leap from the 20.3 PPG Maxey averaged last season, and he’s had just as impressive of an increase in his supporting stats, going from 2.9 rebounds per game to 5.3 rebounds per game and from 3.5 assists per game to 7 assists per game in the ten games he’s played.
Though a lot of Maxey’s increased production can be explained by his increased minutes, his 30 MPG the highest he’s had in his career by far, he’s also averaging a career high true shooting percentage (62%) and a slightly higher assist ratio (22.4) than his former career high in that stat paired with a turnover percentage (4.5) two points lower than it has been any other year he’s been in the NBA. No matter how you look at it, it’s clear Maxey has elevated his NBA game, which is exactly what the Sixers need in the wake of James Harden’s departure and the upgrades Milwaukee and Boston made to their teams. Maxey’s improved play got him into the top 15 in the last Race to the MVP Ladder, and if he continues balling out the way he has, he’s virtually guaranteed a spot in next year’s All-Star Game.
I doubt that’s his top priority, however, and it shouldn’t be. The Sixers have been out of the Eastern Conference Finals for far too long, and while it will be just as tough in this coming playoffs as it has been in every playoffs, the team will have a great shot of making them if Maxey continues his upward trajectory. With the leap he’s made, he’s clearly a star in this league now, but if he can make that second leap into superstardom, there won’t be a team the 76ers won’t be able to take down in a seven game series. Fingers crossed that it’s exactly what ends up happening.
