The Philadelphia 76ers remade their roster this offseason. Daryl Morey kept space open and made a massive gamble on landing a star in free agency. It does not happen often, but it paid off with the Paul George signing. Morey was not done there. He added several other pieces and has the franchise dreaming of chasing a championship in 2025 and beyond.
Fans will see plenty of changes with Paul George in the City of Brotherly Love, but the injury concerns grew. Embiid has struggled to stay healthy, and George has played more than 56 regular season games just once in the last five years. The 76ers need their stars when the games matter most, but a young standout is ready to take another leap.
Until last season, Philadelphia had a star point guard in front of Tyrese Maxey. Ben Simmons ran the show during his rookie season before they acquired James Harden. The 23-year-old was elite in the playoffs next to Harden but proved to be unstoppable last season. This stat shows Maxey is ready to be one of the NBA’s best scorers when the games matter most.
Tyrese Maxey was 5th in points per game in the playoffs last season
Only Joel Embiid, Jalen Brunson, Damian Lillard, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored more than Maxey’s 29.8 points per game in the postseason. He was one of three players under 25 years old to average over 20 every night and led the group of youngsters by nearly three points per game.
It was a brief six-game sample, but this is nothing new for the 6’2 guard. It was the third straight year Maxey scored over 20 points per game in the playoffs. If fans take out his rookie season, Maxey has shot 46.1 percent from the field and 39.2 percent on his threes over 29 postseason contests.
The 23-year-old averaged more points each night in the 2024 playoffs than Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Edwards. Fans can say what they want about the sample, but the stat remains remarkable.
Tyrese Maxey takes his game to another level in the playoffs
Fans know Maxey is an elite scorer, but he has increased his scoring from the regular season to the playoffs for three straight years. Yes, he is getting more minutes, but it is more difficult to get buckets in the postseason. Defenses stiffen and the pressure builds. Maxey just makes it look easy.
His efficiency does not slip in the playoffs. Maxey has shot over 40 percent from 3-point range for two straight years. He will keep getting buckets no matter what the defense throws at him.
The health of Embiid and George keeps some from viewing the Sixers as a legit title contender, but worry not. The Celtics won last season without Kristaps Porzingis for most of the playoffs. Philadelphia has three legit stars, and Maxey will keep improving. He is already an elite scorer and years away from his prime. Do not be surprised to see the 23-year-old hanging a crooked number on the opposition all season long.
The Philadelphia 76ers have an outstanding chance to win a championship. It will take health and good fortune, but the franchise is not going away. Tyrese Maxey is locked up long-term and already elite. Fans should enjoy it every step of the way.
