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Second-year guard Tyrese Maxey has garnered lots of attention this season for the Philadelphia 76ers. In light of Ben Simmons' absence, the former first-round pick found himself promoted to the Sixers' starting point guard.
Maxey, never scared of a challenge, took this opportunity with open arms. Since becoming a full-time starter, he has drastically increased his production compared to his rookie season.
We all knew Maxey could score in bunches, so it is not shocking he is among the Sixers' leaders in points per game at 16.7. The area that stands out the most is his facilitation. He has more than doubled his assists per game, posting an average of 4.7 compared to just 2.0 as a rookie.
Grooming Maxey to be a true point guard has been a work in progress, but the 21-year-old continues to show nice flashes. This transition might have gone better than some first expected, but there is one facet of the game Maxey is having a hard time grasping.
While it's true, he is being called on more as a passer. The Sixers are still at their best when he is looking to score. Finding that happy balance between facilitator and scorer has been something that has troubled Maxey in recent weeks.
Part of this can be attributed to circumstances. When the Sixers were hit hard by health and safety protocol, Maxey had a huge green light on offense. Now, he has to re-acclimate himself playing alongside Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris.
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Since the stars have returned to the lineup, we have seen Maxey defer far too often. It feels as though he doesn't want to step on their toes or take shots away from them. Understanding this, players have stepped up and encouraged the young guard to embrace his natural game.
After the Sixers' big win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, Embiid spoke on Maxey's play. He knows the type of scorer he can be and wants to see him ramp up the assertiveness.
“I've been pushing Tyrese [Maxey] a lot to be aggressive and to attack, get to the paint, push the pace, look for his own shot. I think that is what he got to keep doing, especially in transition. Even when the defense is set, he is so fast he has the chance to get to the rim whenever he wants,” said Embiid.
Maxey needs to understand getting himself going offensively helps the stars on the Sixers just as much as him constantly getting them the ball. When he is getting downhill and making plays, defenses are forced to account for him. Thus, giving Embiid and Harris more room to operate.
Everyone sees the potential Maxey has as a scoring guard in this league. Once he gets comfortable picking his spots with Embiid on the floor, the Sixers might have a new three-headed monster on offense.
