Sixers: Joel Embiid's message to Tyrese Maxey to help him battle inconsistency

Joel Embiid took Tyrese Maxey aside after the Sixers' loss to the Celtics to help him work through his woes.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers lost their third game of the season to the Boston Celtics. Joel Embiid dominated to the tune of 41 points and tremendous defense but it wasn't enough to get the Sixers their 40th win of the season.

One of the main reasons the Sixers lost the back-and-forth affair was that in the few minutes Embiid sat, they got crushed. Tyrese Maxey's struggles were a primary culprit. Expected to be someone that keeps the bench lineup afloat as a dangerous scorer, he didn't get a whole lot going and ended the night with just eight points. Embiid took the youngster aside after the game to help him work through his woes.

“After the game, I was talking to him. I was like, ‘What can I do to help you?’ We were just having a conversation, trying to figure it out, in which ways I can help him,” Embiid said. “We had a good conversation. My main thing for him is to just be aggressive.”

Embiid explained that it's important to find ways to still contribute even through bad play, which he showed firsthand on Thursday against the Memphis Grizzlies. Previously, Maxey showed that he could do just that with some impressive defensive performances. Still, instances like those are not common enough for Maxey to be a true positive on the nights when he doesn't get going as a scorer.

“Obviously, everybody watches film and everybody knows what he does best,” Embiid said. “I was just giving him an example: I'm sure people watch film on me and they probably know what I want to get to. But then again, there's so many ways you can — even if they want to take it away — there's so many ways you can set them up and still be able to get to whatever shots you want on whatever spot on the floor. He'll be fine. But I told him we're not going anywhere unless he's aggressive and he just plays freely. That's all I want for him: play freely, not have to think about anything whether it's coming off the bench or starting. Just want him to be aggressive and play freely.”

The Sixers have to figure out how to get Tyrese Maxey his mojo back for good. Nights like tonight, where he feels like just another guy instead of the third star alongside Joel Embiid and James Harden, cannot happen so regularly if they want to be a true title contender.