CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers have been without Tyrese Maxey since Nov. 18 when he suffered a left foot fracture in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The young man out of Kentucky has missed 12 games as he continues to recover from the injury.
There was some hope Maxey could return during this seven-game homestand before Christmas, and Joel Embiid was excited to have him return to the team.
However, it appears Maxey will be out longer than expected.
“He’s nowhere near what we thought,” said coach Doc Rivers at practice on Thursday.
Rivers mentioned there were steps he has to progress through before he can get back on the floor, but he is not where he needs to be.
“Whatever he has to do, he’s nowhere near it,” Rivers added. “I would say he’s out at least, I don’t know, at least a couple more weeks, and I’m making that up, but I can’t imagine him playing any time in the next couple of weeks.”
When he was asked what Maxey was able to do in practice on Thursday, the coach kept it simple.
“Nothing is the answer,” he stated. “He could shoot. He could run straight line, but that’s it. We gotta be patient.”
Maxey relies on his speed and his ability to cut and shake a guy out of his shoes. If he is unable to be who he is on the court, there is not much reason to have him play. Especially, with the team winning and getting production from others.
“He can sprint straight,” Rivers finished. “He just can’t cut you or he can’t stop. It may get better in three days or five to six days, but I don’t see that happening is what I’m saying. This is an uneducated guess, but I just can’t imagine him playing any time soon.”
The Sixers will take on the Golden State Warriors on Friday to continue the homestand.
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