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The Philadelphia 76ers are set to tip off the second game of their seven-game homestand in a matchup with the Charlotte Hornets. While most of the focus is on the matchup at hand, Doc Rivers also provided an update on Tyrese Maxey’s status when speaking to reporters ahead of the matchup. As the head coach put it, “He’s doing more, for sure. But I think this will be a big week for him, you know as far as when he’ll come back.”
Rivers was further asked about what steps need to be taken for him to make his return. As he put it, “Play basketball. I’m totally serious, I’m not joking I mean right now he’s done nothing competitive. (Maxey)’s just running and jumping. I don’t even know if he’s jumping yet. So we obviously aren’t going to put him on the floor until he can play in a pickup game or two-on-two and he’s not been able to do that. So, until he gets to that point he’s going to be out.”
While the return for Maxey does not appear to be imminent, it is great to see him taking strides in the right direction. On Wednesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Sixers are targeting a return before Christmas, and Rivers’ comments indicate that this looks to be a possibility.
Sixers Need For Maxey
The absence of the 22-year-old guard within the Sixers has been notable. Rivers was asked about what areas on the game this is felt and replied, “We miss him all over the floor. We miss him in the speed category. I mean, you look at us trying to get the ball in late in the (Lakers) game. I thought we struggled with Pat Beverly’s ball pressure all game. You know, when you have two guards, that doesn’t happen. So I mean we miss him in a lot of ways.” Rivers ended the statement by bringing up his shooting ability and how important that is within the flow of the Sixers’ offense.
In his absence, Shake Milton and De’Anthony Melton have each received expanded roles. Both players have stepped up in a major way and cemented their value to the Sixers moving forward. In Friday’s victory over the Lakers, Melton scored a career-high 33 points and seven steals proving to be vital to the Sixers’ success. However, there are elements of Maxey’s game that are irreplaceable and the team will be eager to get him back as soon as possible.
Maxey’s Strong Play This Season
After bursting onto the NBA scene last season with an expanded opportunity, Maxey looks to have taken another step forward this year. Through the first 15 games of the season, he has averaged 22.9 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. He also is connecting on 42.2% of his three-point attempts while launching 6.8 long-range shots per game. This ability to maintain his efficiency while increasing his volume is extremely encouraging for his long-term outlook.
The injury struggles have been a notable storyline for the Sixers so far this season. So far this season the trio of James Harden, Joel Embiid, and Maxey have played a total of just 135:23 on-court minutes together. Getting them on the same page and playing at a high level will be crucial to the Sixers reaching their ceiling as a team. Maxey will need to get healthy and return to the court for this to occur and it is encouraging that this looks to be getting closer.
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