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Fans of the Philadelphia 76ers had their hearts broken when watching Tyrese Maxey limp around in pain and out of the game roughly one month ago. The play occurred after rolling his ankle when attacking the lane on a fast break against the Milwaukee Bucks. In the first 15 games of the season, Maxey looked to have taken another stride forward in his already impressive career and averaged 22.9 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. He is now set to miss his 13th straight game due to injury with Doc Rivers recently providing a pessimistic update about his return.
This has not allowed Maxey to let his mood be ruined. When speaking to the media on Friday morning, Montrezl Harrell spoke highly of the personality he continues to bring. As Harrell put it, “The same guy that comes in and smiles every day. He comes in and gets his work in even when he’s done with his work, he still stays around for shootaround and watches the things that we’re doing,” per Ky Carlin of SixersWire.
Maxey himself put a positive spin on the situation immediately following the injury. As the 22-year-old put it, “I feel good. I’m happy. That’s life. I’m glad I get to be here and still support my teammates and I can walk and smile and my family’s in town. So it’s great…That and then just being alive. I mean, I’m grateful to be alive every single day. Every time I get to wake up and I can breathe and I can walk around and move around and I have all my limbs and stuff. I still thank God every day so I’m happy,” per Ky Carlin of SixersWire. It is tough to find an athlete as likable as Maxey who continues to bring his positive shine on a daily basis.
Other Sixers Speak Out
Harrell was not the only member of the Sixers to speak on the importance of the personality that Maxey brings. De’Anthony Melton also has been open about missing Maxey. As he put it last week, “Having him not on this road trip – I ain’t gonna lie – it was a little sad. Seeing him back is good. He’s always smiling, he’s always joking and stuff. Just having him around the team is good for us. It’s positive energy,” per Lauren Rosen of the Sixers. Melton also joked that Maxey told him he was “soft” if he stopped scoring during his recent career-high 33-point performance.
Doc Rivers also discussed how much Maxey has missed being with the team and put it, “He literally has been going nuts. Stir crazy is a better word. Calling us, FaceTiming us, ‘I don’t know what to do’. Sit at home and watch TV. I don’t know what to tell you, but at least today, he was so happy because at least he could shoot. He’s young. He’s probably never done this,” per Ky Carlin of SixersWire.
Sixers Need For Maxey
The impact of Maxey can be felt both on the court and in the locker room. The Sixers have begun to find their stride during their recent homestand and are currently riding a three-game winning streak. The return of Joel Embiid and James Harden has revitalized the team and the duo has shown both individual improvement and signs of growth in their chemistry together.
It will be interesting to see how Maxey fits in once he makes his return to the court. Coach Rivers recently revealed he is not as close to returning as he once hoped as he is still very limited in what he is cleared to do. The Sixers will surely look forward to his return once it does occur due to the pace, ball-handling, and perimeter shooting he provides. It has been especially exciting this season to see his three-point percentage remaining elite amid the increased volume. Through the opening 15 games this season, Maxey has shot 42.2% from beyond the arc while attempting 6.8 long-range shots per game.
It has been a difficult start to the season for the Sixers due to the number of injuries. Harden and Embiid have just begun to build up their chemistry and Maxey will be another key ingredient to their winning recipe. It is great to see Maxey continuing to bring his positive shine while he remains injured and fans surely cannot wait to see his wide grin shown on the court.
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