Youngest Sixers starter gives Maxey-mum effort | Sports Daily

Tyrese Maxey is not a natural or classic point guard, but he has proved himself a willing worker and has fashioned himself into a reasonable facsimile at the position. Most of all, with his enthusiasm and nonstop effort, he has been an engine for this year’s Sixers team.

Maxey’s had some bumps in the road and some missteps, but fueled partly by self-belief and sheer I’ll-try-it-till-I-learn-it spirit, he has led the team through absences of other players caused by injuries, a mental-health break, and an ongoing pandemic.

Get a better understanding of what makes this standout Sixer tick, and how his attitude has affected his teammates in this profile from The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell.

— Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport

Tell us, does Maxey have what it takes to lead the Sixers to the playoffs at the point? sports.daily@inquirer.com

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Where do the teams in the NFL really rank? KC Joyner has his own take on what makes the best teams, using a structured approach that measures specific performance metrics. Under his system, the Eagles aren’t ranked in the top 10. See if you agree with how the teams are placed.

For those wanting the Eagles to move up the list: Which player would you bring in to make it happen? EJ Smith assesses the possibilities, including addressing how much a certain Seattle quarterback has left in his tank.

Is Major League Baseball in such a healthy place that the risk of alienating fans is worth a protracted lockout? Scott Lauber argues that while owners and players are focused on the trees of their individual issues, the forest of fan disinterest is being completely missed and neglected, which may ultimately have dire consequences.

Also, former Phillies scout Jim Fregosi Jr., the son of the late former manager, died Thursday at age 57.

This hasn’t been a perfect season for the 76ers, who have spent major portions of it without their best players, including Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, and Ben Simmons, who still hasn’t played a game after asking to be traded this offseason.

But, all things considered, the Sixers aren’t in a terrible place. After losing seven of nine games during Embiid’s COVID-19 absence, they have regained their footing. They were winners of four of five before a 118-96 loss to the Utah Jazz at the Wells Fargo Center.

Doc Rivers tells The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey he likes where his team is right now.

“It’s coming,” Rivers said. “You know Joel and Tobias are still dealing with the effects of COVID and now getting out of that. Tyrese [Maxey] is getting over the flu. But I will say this is the first time we haven’t had other injuries. No hip [injuries] or anything like that.

“Everybody in the league is banged up. That’s just the NBA. But hopefully in the next week or so, we can have a healthy team.”

Next: The Sixers welcome to the Golden State Warriors to town. They play at 8:30 p.m. Saturday (6ABC).

Taking over a team that has lost eight straight – now 10 – might not seem like an exciting proposition. Don’t tell that to Flyers interim coach Mike Yeo, who called the chance to take over the Flyers “an unbelievable opportunity.”

The 48-year-old is keen to seize this opportunity and believes he is well prepared to do so, having learned from his previous head coaching experiences with the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues. Will it be third-time lucky for Yeo?

In reality, turning things around largely falls on the players and the Flyers will need some of their high-profile offseason additions to start producing if they are to get back on track. How have GM Chuck Fletcher’s moves panned out as a whole? Sam Carchidi provides a progress report now that we are a little more than a quarter into the season. Spoiler alert: There are a lot of Ds and even an F!

Next: The Flyers look to snap their 10-game losing streak in Vegas on Friday against the Golden Knights at 10 p.m. (NBCSP)

Major League Soccer’s championship game is around the corner, so even if your heart is broken over the Union’s loss, check out the teams the Union may take on in next season’s playoffs. NYCFC and the Portland Timbers are vying for the MLS Cup. Think of it as a scouting report, because after all, the next season is only about six weeks away.

Next: Or, if you’d prefer to get your soccer fix from other teams and leagues, a lot of them are in full swing. Jonathan Tannenwald has his take on all the best ones to check out this weekend.

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At least one Flyers fan had an optimistic reaction to the recent Sports Daily question of when the struggling hockey team would snap the losing streak in which it is currently mired.

I have high hopes it’ll be Saturday against the Coyotes. I’m 77 years old, diehard Flyers fan since 1973 when I saw my first game. I just was married November 27th and moved to Arizona on December 1st. My husband surprised me with tickets to Saturday’s game here. We must win! Coyotes have lost more games than the Flyers! — Rose F.