Doc Rivers Discusses Tyrese Maxey’s ‘Big Week’ Ahead

Prior to Tyrese Maxey's 11th absence on Sunday, Doc Rivers discussed the latest on the young guard's status.

The Philadelphia 76ers haven’t had the services of their third-year rising star Tyrese Maxey since the team’s November 18 matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks. Twenty minutes into the game, Maxey checked out with a foot injury after draining one of his two free throws to earn his 24th point in the first half. 

That would be the last time Maxey appeared on the court, as he was ruled out for the remainder of the matchup. The following day, an MRI revealed that Maxey suffered a small fracture in his foot.

Reports indicated that Maxey could miss three-to-four weeks as a result. Friday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers officially marked three weeks since Maxey went down with his setback. When Philadelphia hosted the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night, Maxey was expectedly ruled out.

The Sunday night matchup marked the 11th straight game Maxey missed. 

Earlier in the week, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers mentioned that Maxey was still “a ways away.” While the head coach couldn’t put a timeline on Maxey’s return, he revealed that the third-year guard was starting to get up shots, along with running up and down the floor. 

A few days later, before the Sixers tipped off against the Hornets, Rivers addressed Maxey’s recovery once again. 

“I don’t know about the sprint part, but he’s doing more, for sure,” said Rivers. “I think this week will be a big week for him, you know, as far as when he’ll come back.”

So, what’s on the agenda for Maxey this week? Rivers put it simply.

“Play basketball,” the head coach said. “I’m totally serious, I’m not joking. Right now, he’s done nothing competitive. He’s just running and jumping. I don’t even know if he’s jumping yet. We obviously aren’t going to put him on the floor until he can play in a pick-up game or two-on-two, and he’s not been able to do that. Until he gets to that point, he’s going to be out.”

December 18 will mark four weeks since Maxey suffered his injury. While it’s unclear which game the Sixers are targeting for his return, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier this week that the Sixers anticipate getting the young guard back before their Christmas Day matchup at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks.

The 76ers will participate in five matchups between the team’s Sunday night win over the Charlotte Hornets and their Christmas Day game with the Knicks. While it seems Maxey will need a week to “play basketball,” as Rivers put it, the guard could be on pace to appear in one of the three upcoming matchups against the Golden State Warriors, Toronto Raptors, or Detroit Pistons. 

His eventual return will all depend on how his foot responds to ramping up the action in the coming days.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.