Getty Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers got far more than they expected in Tyrese Maxey.
When they drafted him with the 21st pick in the 2020 NBA draft, the Sixers likely hoped that Maxey could develop into a helpful rotation scorer. By the midpoint of last season, Maxey was a starter and looked the part of a third option on Philadelphia’s offense. And heading into this season, there were rumblings that Maxey could find his way to his first All-Star appearance this year.
Thus, Maxey’s performance for parts of this season has been disappointing if only because his rise was meteoric. After a foot injury sidelined him for much of November and December, Maxey’s return to the floor showed his rust. The former Kentucky Wildcat managed 17.0 points per game on a ghastly 30% from three in his first seven games back after injury. Even tougher — he was moved to the bench in favor of De’Anthony Melton’s three-and-D potential.
But quietly, Maxey has made the most of his recent opportunities in the starting lineup.
In his last two games, both starts, Maxey is averaging 28.0 points on 58% from three, with a nice volume (6.0 attempts) per game. Against the Mavericks on Thursday, Maxey was the lone bright spot, nearly self-willing the Sixers back from a 25-point deficit.
But when asked if he expected to continue starting, Maxey admitted to being unclear about his future role.
“I have no idea,” Maxey said when asked if he’d start against Milwaukee on Saturday, per Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire. “We came in here, we met at 40 on the clock because it was back-to-back and my name was on the board matched up next to wherever I was guarding. So that’s when I found out.”
The Sixers needed every bit of Maxey’s offense against Dallas on Thursday.
Rivers Defends Starting Maxey for the Sixers
The Mavericks got the fireworks started early in Dallas on Thursday versus the Sixers. Shooting an incredible 52% from three, Dallas blistered Philadelphia, defeating one of the league’s better defenses by a score of 133-126.
A key reason for the Mavericks’ excellent win: superstars Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. The pair combined for 81 points on the night, only the third time this season that a duo has managed that feat, and the 22nd time in NBA history. The duo also became the first in Mavericks history to accomplish that feat.
Much of the damage on Thursday came when the starters were in. Four of Philadelphia’s starters posted a negative plus/minus: PJ Tucker (minus-30), James Harden (minus-21), Joel Embiid (minus-16), and Tobias Harris (minus-22). Thursday night was Embiid’s lowest net rating of the season.
Maxey was the lone starter who wasn’t outscored when on the floor, finishing with a plus-three net rating.
The reality is that Philadelphia’s second unit did get stops. The starters (aside from Maxey), however, let the team down tremendously.
Bench Unit Provided Spark for Sixers Comeback
Not only did Maxey thrive as a starter, but the player whose spot he took also put in an excellent game.
De’Anthony Melton was stellar on the defensive end, recording seven rebounds and five steals, including several key grabs late that put Philadelphia in a spot to win. Melton posted a plus-two net rating for the Sixers.
In fact, no one off the bench for Philadelphia posted a negative net rating. That includes Paul Reed (plus-seven), who again saw nearly 10 minutes of action Thursday.