PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers are benefiting from the stellar play of Tyrese Maxey to begin the 2023-24 season. He is putting up MVP-like numbers of 28.6 points, 7.2 assists and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 50.5% from the floor and 43.1% from deep.
On top of that, he is averaging a career-high 1 steals per game and 1 blocks per game. He had three blocks in Sunday’s win over the Indiana Pacers including a terrific chase down block in the fourth quarter.
The 50 points scored is going to be the big talk of his game, but the defensive improvement is noticeable.
“He’s taken a big step, too,” said Joel Embiid. “Everybody’s looking at the offensive end and what he’s been able to add. Shot creating ability, playmaking, but I think defensively, he’s just competing. Some of his blocks, the last couple games — the one that he had on Jrue Holiday and then the one tonight, but that’s what we need from him. Just compete. We got his back, but he’s been great.”
The chase down block is a play coach Nick Nurse has been highlighting for his group. He preaches to the Sixers not to give up on plays, and Maxey and the other guards are taking it to heart.
“It’s amazing those ones he chases down from behind,” said Nurse. “That’s a couple games now he’s done that. It’s really good. We actually showed a couple of those prior to the game of something bad happens, we turn it over, and the other team’s racing away and we’re making a play.”
The Sixers want to continue to grow under Nurse and that means taking steps forward on the defensive end of the floor. Maxey and the rest of the Sixers have taken that to heart.
“I think Pat Bev got one in one game,” Nurse added. “Nic Batum got one last game. Tyrese has had a couple games now that he’s done that and that’s just more — what it shows me more is that if we’re consistently not going to give up on plays — you can still make a play even when it looks really bad sometimes so that’s the important play for me on that.”
Essentially, playing defense is part of winning basketball games. It is not fun to play on that end of the floor compared to scoring a bunch of points on offense. Maxey wants to make those winning plays, so the Sixers are succeeding.
“I just try to go out there and play extremely hard, honestly,” he stated. “I try to make winning plays. That was a tough play that I had to make. The last one, we turned it over, ran and got back, and just tried to make a play on the ball.”
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