Tyrese Maxey Sixers Media Day 2021. Photo by Austin Krell/The Painted Lines.

Road Trip Recap

The Philadelphia 76ers finished their six-game road swing with a 2-4 record. Consequently, this bumped Philadelphia down to 10-9 on the season and placed them 8th in eastern conference. However, the Sixers were very short-handed on this road trip. Philadelphia’s star Joel Embiid missed every game due to health and safety protocols, Tobias Harris missed the last two games with hip soreness, and Danny Green was sidelined for four games due to hamstring tightness.

Throughout these six games, the 76ers scored only 101.7 points per contest and shot a poor 37.7% from the field. On the other end, opponents shot an overwhelming 48% from the field and averaged 109.2 points against Philadelphia.

The Two W’s

The 76ers were able to pick up two wins during this tough stretch of road games. Last Thursday, Philadelphia defeated the Denver Nuggets 103-89, despite a 27-point first half from Nikola Jokic. Charles Bassey was the headline of this contest due to his great performance on both ends. The rookie center totaled 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, and shot 5-7 from the field.

This past Monday, the Sixers beat the Sacramento Kings 102-94. Philadelphia outscored the Kings 25-12 in the 4th quarter. In addition, Andre Drummond made a huge impact in the restricted area with 23 rebounds (10 rebounds in the 4th period). Regardless of the 76ers’ struggles with injuries and their overall performance around this road trip, there was one constant ray of excitement; Tyrese Maxey.

Tyrese Maxey’s Emergence 

Tyrese Maxey played superb basketball during this road swing. The sophomore guard averaged 22.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists throughout these past six games. Additionally, 49.0% from the field, 40.0% from beyond the arc, and 90.6% from the charity stripe. Moreover, Maxey took great care of the basketball and only had 4 turnovers in this stretch of away games. 

Advanced Statistic Outlook

Tyrese Maxey’s impact offensively was critical for the undermanned 76ers during this stretch. This season, Philadelphia scores 10.4 more points per 100 possessions when Maxey is on the floor (115.2 offensive rating). Also, the second-year guard was involved in 24.8% of possessions when he was on the court (24.8 USG%). As for his efficiency, Tyrese Maxey had a 59.3 true-shooting percentage, which is 4.3% above league average. This is very impressive, considering he averaged 16.3 shot attempts in these games.

Besides, Maxey has shown solid improvement as a passer and playmaker. All through these six games, Maxey assisted on 20.5% of field goals when he was on the hardwood. Likewise, Tyrese Maxey contributed 3.83 more assists than turnovers (3.83 AST/TO). 

Nonetheless, Maxey maintained his superb shot creation, finishing, and overall scoring ability. He’s shooting 51.3% on 2-point attempts on 13.0 attempts per game. Impressively, Maxey netted 41.9% of his pull-up jump shots on 43.9 frequency percentage. At the rim, he knocked down 56.5% of his shots less than 10 feet away. 

Tough Matchups

All around, Tyrese Maxey had to go up against the NBA’s best point guards such as Damian Lillard, De’Aaron Fox, and Stephen Curry.

Against Portland, Tyrese Maxey and the 76ers were victims of a season-high 39-point performance from Damian Lillard. As a result, the Trail Blazers defeated Philadelphia by a score of 118-111. When guarded by Maxey, Lillard had 18 points on 6-15 shooting from the field. Yet, Tyrese Maxey had 28 points, 9 assists, and shot 9-17 in the contest.

The following game, Tyrese Maxey and De’Aaron Fox went at it. For Sacramento, Fox contributed 23 points and shot 46.7% from the field. However, De’Aaron Fox only had 7 points on 2-4 shooting when Tyrese Maxey guarded him. In addition, Maxey outdid Fox offensively with 24 points and 4 assists. 

In the road trip finale, the Philadelphia 76ers faced off against superstar Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Golden State ended up beating Philadelphia 116-96 as a result of a dominant second half. Steph Curry contributed 25 points, 10 assists, and shot 56.2% from the field. On the other hand, Tyrese Maxey dropped 19 points on a poor 5-15 shooting. 

Closing Thoughts

Tyrese Maxey had to oppose some of the NBA’s best guards and teams with an injury-inflicted 76ers team. There was a lot of pressure put on the 2nd-year guard to carry the Sixers and he accepted the challenge. Maxey will continue to grow into a more complete player as this season progresses. Evidently, Tyrese Maxey played a huge role in Philadelphia’s two wins and had an invaluable impact overall.

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