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The Philadelphia 76ers were hit by a dose of bad news when it was announced that James Harden will miss the next month with a right foot tendon sprain. The star guard had been playing well to start the season and has averaged 22.0 points, 10.0 assists, and 7.0 rebounds through the first nine games of the season. Harden has been the Sixers’ number-one ball-handler throughout the season and the team’s best playmaking option by a wide margin. There will be some additional responsibility thrust on the shoulders of Tyrese Maxey, who opened up on how he believes the injury will impact himself and the team while speaking to the media.
Maxey’s Thoughts On The Injury
Maxey and Harden have taken some major steps toward growing their relationship since the superstar was traded to Philadelphia. They spent a great deal of time training together this offseason and Maxey was quick to credit Harden’s hard work. As he first acknowledged when speaking with the media, “You feel for a guy like that who worked extremely hard this summer to get back to where he’s been in the past. His pride to be that guy again. You could tell he was becoming that. He was playing that way and he was leading us as a leader, as a basketball player. I feel for him. I texted him. I’ll probably call later to check on him, but I just pray for him and hope everything is gonna be OK,” per Ky Carlin of SixersWire.
Before the trade for Harden last season, Maxey served as the Sixers’ primary point guard option. During these 51 games, he averaged 16.9 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. He also shot 46.9% from the field and 39.0% on three-point attempts.
Following the trade, Maxey was able to transition to his more natural role as a scorer. With Harden taking on the playmaking responsibilities, the Kentucky product saw his scoring numbers grow. In the second half of the season, he averaged 18.7 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game. His efficiency numbers also grow as he shot 52.3% from the field and 48.0% on three-point attempts.
While it is clear Maxey has shown continued growth and added more layers to the game throughout his three-year NBA tenure, it will now be tested without Harden playing alongside him.
How Maxey’s Role Will Change
Maxey, who is celebrating his 22nd birthday today, is well aware of the test he is about to face. As he put it to the media, “I’ll be ball-handling a little bit more, facilitate a little bit more, get guys in their spots. Same kind of thing I had to do at the beginning of last year before we got him and just still be aggressive and find ways to help us win games,” per Ky Carlin of SixersWire.
As has been known to be the case with Maxey, he expressed confidence in himself. He continued to put it, “I’ve been handling the ball, I believe, since I was a little kid so I mean it’s not that bad. You’re just in the NBA now. We’re just tryna go out there as a collective group and make up for what he does and not one person can be James Harden. I’m not James Harden, Shake’s not James Harden, Furk’s (Korkmaz) not James. We’re gonna go out there and collectively try to make up for what he brought to the table and try to win games.”
It will be a difficult task to replace the production of Harden. The 33-year-old ranks 10th in the NBA in minutes per game this season at 36.8 minutes per game. Harden is also the only player in the NBA to be averaging 20+ points and 10+ assists per game. He has been vital to running their offensive sets and will leave some huge shoes to fill.
Both Shake Milton and Furkan Korkmaz have been buried in the rotation to start the year. This will likely open the door for each of these guys to get an opportunity that might otherwise have been the case. At their best, each player has shown some impressive flashes and if this can be the case it would impact the Sixers in a very positive way. De’Anthony Melton will also likely be counted on for some expanded ball-handling duties.
The biggest growth in responsibility will still fall on the shoulders of Maxey. He referenced coming into the season how his training revolved around making live-read actions to help with these playmaking decisions. This will be put to the test with some increased attention from opposing defenses as it is no longer a secret what a weapon the 24.2 points-per-game scorer is. Playing without Harden will be a challenge for Maxey and the Sixers. But the young guard has answered every question thus far and this will be his next chance to prove himself.
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