Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey continues to impress at the NBA level. In just his second season, he was thrown a number of challenges, and he did not blink.
Maxey began the season as the team’s starting point guard amid the Ben Simmons saga. He had to move to shooting guard once the Sixers swung the huge deal to get James Harden. The young man thrived; he averaged 17.5 points and 4.3 assists while shooting a robust 42.7% from deep.
As he enters his third season, Bleacher Report has given him respect. It ranked him the most exciting young shooting guard in the league:
In a single campaign, he transformed from an intriguing curiosity to a top-three contributor on a championship contender. His scoring spiked. So did his shooting. Ditto for his distribution.
Maxey’s explosion and energy impressed during his rookie season, but his sophomore breakout was more skill-based. Sure, his speed and hops still popped at times, but the more tangible growth was seen in his reliable long-range shooting (42.7 percent) and top-notch decision-making (4.3 assists against 1.2 turnovers).
The Sixers will go as far as Joel Embiid and James Harden take them, but Maxey is just as critical to this team’s success and its championship hopes.
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