Tyrese Maxey's Thriving With Another Golden Opportunity on 76ers

In a James Harden-less Sixers lineup, Tyrese Maxey has a golden opportunity in front of him.

Having an opportunity right in front of him is nothing new for Philadelphia 76ers point guard Tyrese Maxey.

Although the former Kentucky product didn’t enter the league with an immediate rotational role, the standoff between his former three-time All-Star teammate and the Sixers' organization offered Maxey a chance to become a starter during his sophomore effort.

It was an incredible opportunity for Maxey, who proved he belonged in the Sixers’ starting five in the absence of a disgruntled Ben Simmons. When the Sixers finally concluded the Simmons saga by trading him away for a ten-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer James Harden, Maxey’s progress was too good to send him back to the bench.

Now in year four, Maxey entered the 2023-2024 NBA season in a similar situation. This time, it’s James Harden who entered disgruntled territory with the Sixers, which called for him to miss the team’s opening road trip in Milwaukee and Toronto.

With Harden out of the picture temporarily, Maxey has once again been issued the keys to the offense as Nick Nurse put the ball in his hands. Regardless of whether Maxey takes a step forward in his development or not, he’ll remain a prominent player on the roster.

But with an extra boost in the playmaking department, while maintaining his scoring from all areas of the floor, Maxey could go from prominent locally to NBA All-Star, depending on how he attacks defenses as a focal point of the Sixers’ offense, rather than a complement to James Harden.

“This is the golden opportunity for him,” Nick Nurse said following Saturday night’s matchup in Toronto. “He seemed like he had 30 points every time we played him when I was coaching against him. So, it’s nice to see him continue that with me around."

The good news for the Sixers is that Maxey has passed every test issued to him through two games. Despite a one-point loss against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, Maxey went toe-to-toe with one of the NBA’s most notable guards, Damian Lillard.

To begin the year, Maxey checked in for 40 minutes against the Bucks, knocking down 46 percent of his shots en route to a 31-point outing. Playmaking-wise, the guard dished out eight assists for the fifth time in his career. He took care of the ball with his passing on display, failing to account for any one of the Sixers’ 15 turnovers.

On Saturday night in Toronto, Maxey nearly mirrored his Thursday night production. Improving his efficiency by draining 60 percent of his field goals, Maxey tacked on a game-high 34 points over the Raptors. He distributed another seven assists on the night and coughed the ball up just once in a matchup where the Sixers picked up a seven-point victory.

“State the obvious, right? He’s really playing well,” Nurse claimed. “He’s doing what he can do. He's shooting the ball well from deep, creating space, he's creating some contact, and finishing at the rim. Obviously, he's getting his chances to get assists, but he's also taking care of the ball.”

As good as Maxey’s been through two games for the Sixers, there is still more to be desired in the eyes of his head coach. While Maxey found his footing in both matchups, Nurse doesn’t want to see the young guard start slow, as he did during Saturday’s game.

“He’s really amazing, and he’s still got to be 25 percent more aggressive,” Nurse finished.

In a first quarter that featured Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris accounting for 12 of the Sixers’ 19 total shots, Maxey didn’t have a single attempt in nearly nine minutes of action. Although he made up for it later on, Nick Nurse preached a similar message that Maxey’s heard plenty of times in the past with the previous coaching staff — take control of the game and be more aggressive.

It’s unclear how long Maxey will have an opportunity to be in the driver’s seat of Philadelphia’s offense, but he’s off to an inspiring start. Through 80 minutes of action, the young guard is averaging 33 points, eight assists, and five rebounds while shooting 58 percent from three on nearly nine attempts per game.

Maxey will get an opportunity to build on that production with a quick turnaround, as the Sixers are set to take on the Portland Trail Blazers for their home opener on Sunday night.