Tyrese Maxey continued his incredible start to the season with a jaw-dropping 50 point performance against the Pacers on Sunday, setting his new career high. This performance comes after a red-hot start to the season as Maxey solidifies himself as not only an all-star in this league, but he is currently 3rd in MVP voting and is trending up. His incredible shooting and dynamic playmaking, paired with reigning MVP Joel Embiid, has the Sixers currently with the best record in the NBA and there hasn’t been signs of slowing down. Embiid even acknowledging Maxey’s arrival in his postgame comments and later posting to Instagram with Maxey with the caption “The Franchise”.
This is not the first time that Embiid has referred to Maxey with the nickname, he actually initially referred to Maxey as the franchise back in 2021 when Maxey was starting in place of disgruntled Ben Simmons. However this time it feels different, this time it doesn’t just seem like Embiid trying to instill confidence to a young player, but rather appointing him as his solidified second star and letting the world know this isn’t just a hot start. Maxey is averaging 28.6 points, 7.2 assist, and 5.4 rebounds during this dynamic start but he has also been very impressive on the defensive end all season long and there is no sign of slowing down at just 23 years old.
What’s Working?
Tyrese Maxey has always been a fan favorite that everyone felt had such great potential, but just never had gotten an opportunity to really be let of the leash and play free. Every year he has steadily gotten better, but he has taken a significant leap this year even if his stats don’t maintain this unbelievable level. The Sixers shipped James Harden out and really gave the keys to Maxey to run this offense and it has completely changed the Sixers season outlook, but also the vibe of the team.
The Sixers are meshing phenomenally since the first day of training camp and while a lot of that has to do with Nick Nurse and his coaching staff, but also because the team seems to be genuinely enjoying playing together. The energy and vibe around the team is as high as it’s been in a long time and everyone is rooting for each other’s success. This has a lot to do with Maxey himself, with his infectious energy permeating throughout the team. The Sixers have been playing with noticeably higher energy and effort this year, and the ball is finding the guys who are buying into the system, especially Maxey. He is dominating offensively while not dominating the ball (unlike Harden) which has everyone feeling involved and keeping the ball moving.
What’s Next
Nurse has not been shy about Maxey being in a bigger role this season, further instilling confidence into him and now with his immediate success this season, there really seems to be no limit to where his career could go from here. This kind of start, at this age, is very rarified air and puts Maxey in conversations with some of the best guards of the last 20 years. When the team is playing fast and Maxey is playing free, he is a top tier guard in the East and could easily propel this team to championships with Embiid over the next 5-10 years.
“The Franchise” has officially arrived.
