While the importance of Joel Embiid to the Philadelphia 76ers doesn’t need to be rehashed, perhaps no other guy is keeping the franchise afloat more than Tyrese Maxey.

The Sixers have asked Maxey to grow as a player while withholding his contract extension until next summer in an effort to preserve flexibility. The soon-to-be-23-year-old has been the perfect team player, showing his commitment to winning by taking on whatever role Philly asks of him. What that means now is that he's not taking a back seat, but rather riding shotgun with Embiid as one of the primary creators for the 76ers.

Regardless of what James Harden's future holds, the Sixers are again looking to help Maxey get to the next level. So with that in mind, here are four bold Tyrese Maxey predictions for the 2023-24 season.

Tyrese Maxey records his first 50-point game

Early last season, Maxey exploded for 44 points, and he will only be getting the ball more often this year. Six more points shouldn’t be hard to come by.

The ball will be in Maxey's hands way more this season, and he will have the green light to shoot the ball pretty much as he likes, which could allow him to go nuclear several times this season. If Maxey comes close to the 20-shot-per-game goal Nick Nurse has for him, there’s no telling how many games he can light up. In addition to at least one 50-burger, Maxey should be able to notch 35-40 points a few times as well.

Depending on how long Harden sits out, Maxey should have a ton of chances to get upwards of 25 shots in a game. Even when Harden plays, Maxey is dangerous enough off the ball to reach the half-century mark. Be on the lookout for Maxey to reach the mark as early as the eighth, ninth, or tenth games of the season when Philly faces a not-so-good Detroit Pistons team and then a high-paced Indiana Pacers squad in consecutive games.

Tyrese Maxey's three-point percentage dips just below 40 percent

Unless you're Stephen Curry, shooting above 40 percent from deep while being a primary initiator of offense is not a given. In his first season as one of the main creators for his team, Maxey may not be able to keep up his elite three-point percentage.

Over the last two seasons, Maxey has shot 45.7 percent from deep in the minutes he played with Harden, per PBP Stats. Without Harden, he shot 41.3 percent. That inspires hope that he shouldn’t fall into the 30s range, but with a bigger on-ball role, he may not get as many easy looks.

Maxey will be shifting more toward being the guy creating and feeding catch-and-shoot looks to others rather than taking them himself. His percentage on pull-up triples was 38.7 percent last year and 40.3 percent the year before. Can he bump his efficiency on these tougher looks back up on (seemingly) a higher volume? Even for a shooter as good as Maxey, it isn’t a given.

As the creation responsibilities shift away from Embiid and more toward Maxey — not all the way, of course, but still in his direction — it will be harder to maintain his elite three-point percentage. It won’t be an indictment on him as a shooter or indicative of a slump. Rather, it will just be the result of his increased workload.

Tyrese Maxey averages a career-high in free throw attempts

A new career-best in assists is a bit of a given for Maxey, who will have the ball in his hands way more. But that shouldn’t be it. The Sixers should help him use his body better when attacking the rim and help him get to the charity stripe more.

While Harden may not be in the picture for the Sixers on the court, he did participate in a number of practices and most of training camp, offering advice to his younger teammates. With Maxey, the focus should be to get a better handle on driving angles and baiting defenders into uncomfortable situations. For a career 85.8 percent free-throw shooter, more trips to the line should be a priority.

Since he became a starter in his second season, Maxey has been roughly average at drawing fouls compared to the league average. Doc Rivers once pointed out that Maxey doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt from the refs because of how small he is. Getting more calls to go his way will be key, and it's a safe bet that Nurse and the Sixers coaching staff understand that.

Tyrese Maxey doesn’t make the All-Star team but has an All-Star-worthy season

This should be the season Maxey becomes an All-Star. The body of hard work to improve his already great game? Check. The opportunity to get lots of touches and shots? Check. A team that will help uplift him and be competitive? Check. The only thing left is the votes and…the amount he would need to become an All-Star might not be easy to come by.

Making the All-Star team will require a strong presence in the polls. If the Sixers slide too far down the standings in the Eastern Conference, it may be tough for him to get enough support. Kyrie Irving heading to the Western Conference and DeMar DeRozan getting his position designation switched to forward (which is what it absolutely should be) will offer up more spots, but the field is still very crowded.

Damian Lillard's arrival to the East adds more competition to a collection of guards that already features All-Stars in Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Haliburton, Darius Garland, Jrue Holiday, Trae Young, LaMelo Ball and Zach LaVine. Jalen Brunson is a strong candidate to be a first-time All-Star, too. There are only four spots for guards specifically and two other wild cards that can be chosen among any positions.

Maxey is basically going to have to become a regular 25-point, five-assist guy to have a good shot. The Sixers should be better than most of the teams those other guards belong to, aiding Maxey's odds, and there's always the possibility that he is an injury replacement, too. But with how stiff the competition is, plus the NBA's bizarre decision to have All-Star rosters have three fewer spots than its regular team rosters, Maxey will need a strong campaign to earn the honor.