Getty Joel Embiid #21 picks Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers against the Toronto Raptors during the first half of their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on October 26, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
It is still very early in the season and the Philadelphia 76ers are tinkering with the ingredients to get their team clicking on both sides of the ball. One guy who has seen his role discussed at length is Tyrese Maxey. The 21-year-old has opened eyes around the NBA and is fresh off a career-high 44-point performance against the Toronto Raptors. Joel Embiid had some strong praise for the young guard following his string of impressive play that may hint toward a change in role in the offense.
While speaking to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Embiid stated that “There’s a reason I’m always on him to just let it fly. He’s got to get up 10 to 15 threes a game. That’s how good of a shooter he is.”
As a rookie, Tyrese Maxey would bypass wide open 3s. Now, he’s sprinting into contested 28-foot pull-ups, drilling 3s on the move against tight closeouts and hunting shots with unabashed confidence.
44 points last night. He’s been an elite shooter since 2021 Summer League:
Maxey’s Shooting Ability
The rise of Maxey’s shooting ability has been amazing to watch. Shooting concerns were the biggest red flag surrounding the Kentucky product leading into the draft. In his lone year of college, he shot just 29.2% on three-point attempts. These struggles showed face in his rookie year as well. During the 2020-21 season, Maxey shot just 30.3% on three-point attempts.
Flash forward to today and Maxey worked himself into one of the best shooters in the NBA. He finished last season shooting 42.7% on long-range attempts which ranked 3rd in the entire league. This looks to be continuing as Maxey has picked up right where he left off and has flashed red-hot shooting to start the season.
Across the first seven games of the season, Maxey has shot 22 for 47 from beyond the three-point arc. This 46.8% rate trails only P.J. Tucker (8 for 15 [53.3%]) for the best percentage on the Sixers.
Tyrese Maxey tonight:
44 points
20 total shots
9 made 3s
8 rebounds
4 assists
Team-high +29 in a 112-90 Sixers win without Joel Embiid. One of the best performances of the year by one of the NBA’s most electric players.
What’s Next For Maxey?
As Embiid alluded to with his comments, the next step for Maxey and the Sixers must be for him more of a focal point of the team. The combination of his lightning-quick pace and impressive perimeter shooting makes him such a dynamic weapon and he has proven capable of everything the Sixers have asked from him thus far.
Small sample size, but Maxey’s shot attempts across the board are up from last season:
Last year: 13.3 FGA, 6.4 FGM (48.5%)
This year: 16.1 FGA, 8.1 FGM (50.4%)
And for threes:
Last year: 4.1 3PA, 1.8 3PM (42.7%)
This year: 6.7 3PA, 3.1 3PM (46.8%)
If he can maintain this level of efficiency while increasing his output, Maxey has a chance to grow into one of the brightest stars in the NFL. He has seen some increase in his perimeter shot attempts as Maxey is currently averaging 6.7 three-point attempts per game. However, this is far below the goal of ’10 to 15′ which Embiid has set for him. It feels as if the 21-year-old has not yet fully realized how good he is and too often becomes passive within the offense.
In fairness to Maxey, this is easy to do while sharing the court with Embiid and James Harden. However, the Sixers need production from the skill set he possesses. Maxey’s dynamic scoring ability provides the team with a punch and then the energy he plays with is infectious to the team. Especially on the nights when Harden is not looking 100% like himself, the production of Maxey is vital to the Sixers’ success.
After such a massive leap from his rookie season to his second-year performance, it was difficult to raise the bar much higher. The early signs of improved play have been promising for the third-year guard. With his 22nd birthday set to take place on Friday, there is still plenty of time for development. However, the Sixers will be counting on Maxey’s production this year and his role within the offense will be an interesting storyline to monitor moving forward.