76ers Media Day: 3 Key Takeaways From Tyrese Maxey

Tyrese Maxey is headed into his fifth season with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Jan 22, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) dribbles past San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones (33) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Joel Embiid spent the 2023-2024 NBA season referring to Tyrese Maxey as “The Franchise.” The Philadelphia 76ers offered their homegrown star a contract to make that nickname quite fitting.

At this point, there aren’t any questions about Maxey’s status on the Sixers. He’s a cornerstone player and getting paid like one after inking a five-year contract, which is worth over $200 million.

Since getting drafted to the Sixers out of Kentucky in 2020, Maxey went from an inconsistent rotational player to a full-time starter by year two. After year four, there was no question about his status as the team’s starting point guard moving forward.

Last year, Maxey anticipated going into the 2023-2024 NBA season without James Harden as a co-star. With an increased role, the young guard thrived.

In the scoring department, Maxey produced 26 points per game. While putting up points at a career-high rate, Maxey shot the ball efficiently as he hit 45 percent of his field goals and 37 percent of his threes. Along with his scoring, Maxey averaged a career-high six assists. He turned the ball over fewer than two times per game.

After another successful step in the right direction with his development as an NBA point guard, Maxey earned All-Star honors for the first time in his career. He also won the league’s Most Improved Player award.

Next season, Maxey and Joel Embiid are joined by another All-Star, Paul George. With the former LA Clippers’ scoring ability, Maxey could see another notable jump in the playmaking department. The star trio will get to work at training camp for the first time on Tuesday in the Bahamas.

1. The Veteran-Filled Backcourt

Jan 10, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) reacts after a basket against the Atlanta Hawks in overtime at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Although Maxey noted he was getting older since he’s been around for over four years now, the 23-year-old looks forward to having an experienced backcourt surrounding him this season with some new and returning veterans.

“They’re not just veterans, but they are like seasoned veterans,” Maxey said. “They’ve been in tough situations. Reggie Jackson has been on a championship team. EG has been very close. Kyle Lowry led a championship team. Those guys have championship pedigree and championship experience, and we need them. We’re going to need them to use their voice, need their play, and need their leadership.”

2. The Main Priority

Mar 27, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) rebounds the ball against the LA Clippers during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Maxey noted that he went into the offseason with three or four bullet points of goals. While the veteran guard didn’t want to reveal his entire offseason plan, he mentioned that health was a major priortiy as his role continues to increase.

“Getting my body right and making sure I was 100 percent ready to play an 82-game season and the postseason as well. I feel like last year was my first year kind of leading the charge.”

Maxey prioritized getting stronger, which has been something many fans have noticed this offseason.

3. Rallying the Team

Apr 7, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) drives in against San Antonio Spurs forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) in the second half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Since taking over as the team’s primary point guard last season, Maxey worked on finding the right balance between becoming a top scorer on the team, but also the No. 1 playmaker. With that, Maxey knows he has to find ways to get the team to rally together as a leader.

“This team’s gonna have to get one percent better every day, we’re going to have to step in the right direction come towards the end of the season to accomplish the goals that we want.”