How good is Tyrese Maxey? He’s now in a class with Sixers great Allen Iverson and other NBA elites.
Trendon Watford’s eyes widened as he sat in a courtside seat Tuesday morning at Xfinity Mobile Arena. That expression was followed by a smirk and laughter as the remainder of Tyrese Maxey’s statistics were recited.
The 76ers star, who is Watford’s best friend and teammate, was averaging an eye-popping 33.2 points and 8.2 assists through the first 10 games.
Maxey joins Sixers great and Hall of Famer Allen Iverson as the only players in league history to tally at least 25 points and five assists in each of their first 10 games to start a season. Iverson did that during the 2005-06 season, when he averaged 32.0 points and 7.9 assists through the first 10 games.
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“Yeah, it’s crazy,” Watford said of Maxey’s historic stat line. “But we worked together this summer a lot. I’ve been knowing how hard he works. So I just knew it was just a matter of time …
“Obviously, everybody has been seeing it, but this year it’s been on display even more. But it’s great. I mean, he’s just got to keep it up. I think he will.”
Maxey finished with 21 points and nine assists in Tuesday’s 102-100 victory over the rival Boston Celtics to bring his averages to 32.1 points and 8.3 assists.
As Watford mentioned, the 2024 All-Star laid the groundwork this summer. In addition to his renowned workout regimen, Maxey studied extensive game film, looking for ways to remain impactful in on- and off-ball situations. He also wanted to be effective no matter who he was paired with.
As a result, Maxey’s game has continued to evolve in his sixth NBA season. As a rookie, he was known for being hard to guard in the open court. After that, he added three-point shooting, then improved his defense. These days, the 25-year-old has put that together to make himself a solid three-level scorer.
Maxey has improved his floater and increased his shooting range. He is also the unquestioned leader of the team.
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While 11 games is a small sample size, Maxey’s play should place him in the conversation of the league’s top players. Some may argue that it is too soon to call him one of the elite. But no one will deny that he’s trending in that direction.
Yet only a few all-time greats have accomplished what Maxey has this season. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder led the NBA in scoring at 37.5 points per game through the first four games.
Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and Jerry West, along with 2017 MVP and nine-time All-Star Russell Westbrook, are the other players to average more points through four games of a season.
Maxey then joined Iverson, Luka Dončić, former Sixer James Harden, and Hall of Famer Nate “Tiny” Archibald as the only players with six straight games of 25 points and five assists.
So, after you consider the elite company, it’s hard not to recognize Maxey as being elite.
He has been elevated to the top of every team’s scouting report with Joel Embiid coping with injuries and Paul George having yet to play as he recovers from left knee surgery. Embiid, who’s on a minutes restriction, missed four games because of left knee recovery. He also missed Tuesday’s game with right knee soreness.
But Maxey has still managed to score at least 31 points in six of the Sixers’ first 11 games, despite all the defensive attention he is receiving. His ability to score and make clutch plays down the stretch has separated him from the rest of the league. So have his energy, intensity on the court, leadership qualities, and consistency.
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Maxey’s elite play is the main reason the Sixers are off to a surprising 7-4 start after a disastrous 24-58 season last year. He’s also the reason they were highly competitive in 10 of their 11 games.
He’s third in fourth-quarter scoring, averaging 8.8 points behind two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (11.8) and All-NBA guard Cade Cunningham (11.4).
As his assist numbers show, he’s also creating for others. In the past, Maxey was a turnover waiting to happen once teams blitzed him. Not anymore.
The experience that comes with playing in 329 regular-season games has enabled Maxey to learn from situations. It’s been evident that he now knows what to do in hostile conditions. As a result, he’s been an asset to teammates.
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said the first thing that stands out about Maxey is his speed and ability to score in transition.
“He’s gotten much better playing against different coverages,” Mazzulla said. “It used to be one coverage he was comfortable in. Now, he can do it against different ones. But I think their coach has done a great job of opening up driving lanes and getting points out of non-pick-and-roll opportunities as much as pick-and-roll opportunities.”
While his scoring average is third in the league, Maxey ranks sixth in assists. He is also second in three-pointers made (44) and total points (353).
Yes, it’s a small sample size. But Maxey is proving that he’s elite.
