Tyrese Maxey has taken a vital leadership role for the Sixers: ‘It’s just what I do. I guess I’m old.’
The point guard will turn 25 in November. Joel Embiid had urged him to become more vocal and Maxey became a leader last season when injuries took a toll on the Sixers.
It’s easy to understand how the most dependable player for the 76ers can’t be considered the best Sixer.
If you close your eyes and imagine the moment — the one in which Tyrese Maxey is at his best — it won’t be the same as Joel Embiid displaying his dominance.
You may still see Maxey as a 20-year-old with hair in long twists entering the NBA as a reserve guard during the 2020-21 season.
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Maybe you see him as the player Doc Rivers took out of the starting lineup for a stretch during the 2022-23 season. Perhaps it’s because Maxey is constantly being questioned about perceived defensive struggles. Or maybe you don’t see him as a true point guard.
But if you’re being totally honest with yourself, Maxey has erased plenty of stigmas en route to being named an All-Star and the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2023-24.
It’s why, even though he does not have Embiid’s resumé, the Sixers are trending toward becoming Maxey’s team. Not only is he the most dependable player, Maxey enters his sixth NBA season as the team’s unquestioned leader. And it’s been trending that way for a few seasons, at the urging of Embiid.
“I remember the end of my fourth year, maybe, I remember Joel kind of pulling me to the side, telling me my voice is going to be needed,” said Maxey, who turns 25 on Nov. 4. “You know, people just see how hard I work, see how much I care about winning, how much I care about the franchise.
“And, you know, Joel is a more reserved guy. Of course he is talented on the court. That’s what he does. But he was just telling me that’s a way for me to step up and lead and be vocal.”
The native of Garland, Texas, tried to be the team’s vocal leader at the start of last season. By the middle of the season, his leadership qualities stood out.
“And now it’s just what I do,” Maxey said. “I guess I’m old.”
With Embiid and Paul George dealing with left knee injury management, Maxey could carry the offensive load for the second consecutive season — at least early on.
Embiid, a seven-time All-Star, is determined not to rush back while recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery in April.
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The surgery came after the Sixers determined on Feb. 28 that he was medically unable to play and would remain sidelined for the remainder of last season to focus on treatment and rehabilitation.
Embiid played only 19 games last season. His averages of 23.8 points and 8.2 rebounds were the fourth- and second-lowest, respectively, in his nine NBA seasons. He also shot career lows from the field (44.4%) and from three-point range (29.9%).
Meanwhile, George was hampered by hyperextensions and bone bruises in his left knee, left groin soreness, right ankle soreness, and a torn tendon in his left little finger last season. In all, he played in just 41 games before being shut down for the season on March 17, the day he received injections in the left adductor muscle in his groin and left knee.
George averaged just 16.2 points, the fourth-lowest average of his 15-year NBA career. He also finished with the third-lowest three-point percentage (35.8%) of his career.
The veteran forward joined the team on its trip to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, but George’s status is questionable for the Oct. 22 season opener against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. The nine-time All-Star wasn’t cleared for full-contact drills at the start of training camp after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on July 14.
With George and Embiid sidelined for long stretches last season, Maxey averaged career highs of 26.3 points and 1.8 steals. However, he initially had a tough time adjusting to drawing extra attention as the No. 1 option.
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“When I got to late December, January, I feel like I really started to figure out how to manipulate the game, manipulate the defense,” Maxey said. “I think you could see that in my production. Now, I’m going to tell a joke. Nobody laugh. My rookie year through my third year, I used to get so angry sometimes at Joel when he’d be getting double-teamed. I’m like, ‘Bro, I’m wide-open.’ And he’s like, ‘Bro, I can’t see you.’ Then [opponents] started double-teaming me and people were, ‘Bro, I’m open,’ I said, ‘Trust me, I really can’t see you.’
“But I’ve got a lot of film on it, and I’ve had a lot of time to work on it. I do feel a lot more confident in it. And I think it’ll work out well for us.”
And if Embiid continues to be limited by injuries, Maxey just might be recognized as the Sixers’ best player.