NBA
In the absence of Harden, Tyrese Maxey emerges as Embiid’s partner
The point guard from Dallas has taken a step up in the absence of James Harden and is the 76ers leading scorer.
The Philadelphia 76ers started the regular season with the intention of forgetting, at least temporarily, James Harden. The Californian star who arrived to team up with the current NBA MVP, Joel Embiid, is currently not playing after falling out with the franchise’s board of directors and his actual situation remains unknown.
Harden, who forced his departure from the Rockets and the Nets, was without doubt one of the biggest stars in the league. However, while nobody has any doubt he’s a quality veteran, the truth is the ‘Beard’ is now beset by a new set of problems at the franchise he himself chose to join. For the Sixers, the plan is to forget about the problem, at least when it comes to playing basketball, and right now they’re managing to do so, thanks to one player: Tyrese Maxey (22 years old, 6′ 2″).
The Texan point guard is being heralded as the Sixers’ future cornerstone. Although he was a pivotal player last year for a team that aimed for championship glory, this season he is stepping it up further and matching his performance levels to that of the team’s main star, Joel Embiid.
Maxey plays well with others
One of the highlights for the Philadelphia team is the superb chemistry between Maxey and Embiid. Both players’ skill sets enable them to play a natural style of basketball that doesn’t force either of them into unfamiliar roles. Additionally, they both have an innate ability to understand each other in pick-and-roll situations, where the Cameroonian often proves to be unstoppable.
Maxey is averaging 32.5 points in the first two games with excellent three-point shooting, statistics typically reserved for the league’s biggest stars. If the 22-year-old point guard can maintain this level of performance, there’s no doubt that the Sixers will have found a fundamental pillar for rebuilding their franchise, which continues to operate under the mantra ‘Trust the Plan,’ aimed at finally clinching the much-coveted championship ring.