BOSTON — Young Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey is in the midst of an impressive fourth season. Taking over the point guard job on a full-time basis, he’s averaging 25.9 points and 6.4 assists while having a great deal of responsibility on his shoulders.
Maxey continues to grow while figuring out the balance of looking for his own offense while making plays for others. It is not easy to do that. While Philadelphia is counting on him to carry the scoring load without Joel Embiid, the Sixers also need him to make sure Tobias Harris, Buddy Hield and Kelly Oubre Jr. get involved.
That is where Kyle Lowry steps in. The future Hall of Famer has been giving his young teammate advice on handling responsibilities as a point guard.
“He’s been great,” Maxey said of Lowry. “I’ve got nothing but appreciation for him. He just comes up to me and gives me little nuggets throughout the game. As soon as he touched down, the first time I saw him, he said, ‘Man, I’m here to help you. Whatever you need, any questions that you have, bring ‘em to me. I’ll be in your ear every single day. I appreciate you allowing me to do that.'”
Lowry is a six-time All-Star and an NBA champion. He has been through every playoff battle, and he looks to pass that on to Maxey.
Being the leader of an NBA team is something new for Maxey, so he has to continue to grow in this new tole. When Embiid returns, the Sixers will not rely on Maxey as much, but he still has to strike the scoring-playmaking balance.
“I told him I appreciate him helping me, because this is new for me and I’m trying to be the best version of myself to help us win games,” Maxey finished. “So I appreciate him.”
[lawrence-related id=91166,91163,91158]