Tyrese Maxey Achieves Rare Early Accomplishment With Playmaking

Tyrese Maxey is one of two players with a rare accomplishment early on this season.

Nobody knew how the Philadelphia 76ers’ offense would look moving forward without the presence of the ten-time All-Star guard, James Harden. Just last season, Harden was the top passer in the league, averaging nearly 12 assists per game. 

The center Joel Embiid trailed Harden in that department, next in line with 4.2 assists per game. Meanwhile, the young guard Tyrese Maxey was third, averaging 3.5 assists per game. 

Many expected Maxey to take the next step with his passing at some point, as he’s done nothing but improve other areas of his game since entering the NBA. 

With an expanded role, getting shifted over to the starting point guard spot in the absence of Harden, who held out until he was traded, Maxey already looks significantly better in that department just eight games into the year.

During the Sixers’ Friday night matchup against the Detroit Pistons, Maxey tacked on another ten assists on the night. With that, he’s averaging a career-high 7.5 assists per game, leading the Sixers.

Friday’s matchup against the Pistons marked the third time Maxey distributed double-digit assists this season. Compared to years past, Maxey accomplished that feat just one time in his previous three seasons combined.

Tyrese Maxey 10-assist games:

3 — This season
1 — First 3 seasons combined

It’s only been 8 games. https://t.co/OWESIvBonJ

— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 11, 2023

It’s not just the assist numbers that are impressive out of Maxey — it’s also the fact that he’s distributing at such a high rate without giving the ball up to the defense.

While Maxey’s never been one to turn the ball over at a high rate, he’s averaging just one turnover per game this year, which is lower than his average across the previous two seasons. 

Looking across the NBA, there are just two players with games where they have ten-plus assists with zero turnovers. Maxey is one of them, alongside Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul.

During a November 3 matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Chris Paul dished out 13 assists without turning the ball over once. He was solely pass-first in that game, attempting just six shots and scoring one point in that matchup.

Meanwhile, Maxey is the only player in the NBA with two games that feature that accomplishment, and he did so while totaling 51 points across the two matchups as well.

There’s still a ton of basketball left to be played this year, but Maxey has taken the notable jump the Sixers were hoping to see so far. Heading into Friday’s game, Maxey’s assist percentage is up 11 percent this year, while his turnover percentage is down to five, which ranks in the 97th percentile, according to Cleaning the Glass.