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Following James Harden’s departure, Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey immediately became the team’s No. 2 option. After Joel Embiid became sidelined with left knee injury, Maxey immediately became the team’s No. 1 option.
The common theme that explains Maxey’s fourth NBA season that resulted in his first All-Star appearance? Maxey showed he had the talent to assume an unexpectedly increased role.
“Those are two pretty good things to come together at the same time,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said.
Nonetheless, the Sixers (38-31) enter Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers (37-32) in a predicament. After posting three consecutive 30-point games, Maxey finished with only six points on 3-for-13 shooting in the Sixers’ loss to Phoenix on Wednesday.
Those different snapshots reveal a clear picture. Maxey has now attracted more defensive attention on the opposing team’s scouting reports.
“This has been good for him because he’s really had to shoulder a lot of the load, especially with Joel out now,” Nurse said. “You’re going from a third to fourth option to a primary option big time. He gets a lot of schemes and gets a lot of great defenders. He goes through some ups and downs because of that. But most of it has been up. He’s really responded, and I think he continues to get better.”
That improvement partly stems from Maxey recently studying how Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, New York’s Jalen Brunson and Dallas’ Kyrie Irving handle persistent double teams and complex defensive schemes.
“A lot of those guys sometimes had the opportunity to do it on the flow and on the go and had seasons to grow with it. But for me, right now we’re trying to win a championship,” Maxey told Sportskeeda. “I’m trying to adjust and win games at the same time.”
Tyrese Maxey interview (Exclusive)
Maxey spoke to Sportskeeda about growing in a bigger role with Philadelphia as well as other topics. That includes Embiid’s spirits during his recent injury, the Sixers’ playoff chances and adjusting to Nurse after playing for Doc Rivers during his first three seasons.
Editor’s note: The following one-on-one interview has been edited and condensed.
What explains your ability to take your game to another level - first with James Harden’s departure, and now Joel Embiid’s absence - to become an All-Star?
Tyrese Maxey:
“It’s been a lot of work and a lot of film work. It’s all hard work and determination. I’ve worked extremely hard to get to this moment and have this opportunity. I have to take advantage of it. I watch a lot of basketball. I watch a lot of different dynamic guards. As of late, defenses have been doing a lot of different things. They’re trapping. They’re denying (me the ball). I’ve seen them do box-and-ones. I’ve seen everything this year. So I’m trying to watch other guys to see how they’ve handled it and then put it into my own game.”
Which guys do you watch, and what do you take away from them?
Tyrese Maxey:
“I watch a little bit of Donovan Mitchell, a little bit of Jaylen Brunson and a little bit of Kyrie Irving when he was in Boston. I’ve watched guys that were either primary or secondary scorers that have gotten trapped, blitzed and different things like that. That is what is going on with me now. So, I have to be ready and be prepared for it. They’re able to manipulate the defense and able to get their teammates open. That’s opened things up for them.”
How have you tried to adjust in real time?
Tyrese Maxey:
“It’s crazy. It’s difficult. A lot of those guys sometimes had the opportunity to do it on the flow and on the go and had seasons to grow with it. But for me, right now we’re trying to win a championship. I’m trying to adjust and win games at the same time. There are so many times they trapped me. When Joel was off the floor, they have automatically trapped me, no matter how many points I had and no matter what I had done. I thought, ‘Man, that is crazy!’ When Joel went out [with his injury], at the beginning of the game, whether I scored or not, they were already in box-and-one or trapping me. I don’t complain about it. I just try to go out there and work at it.”
What did it mean to you be an All-Star?
Tyrese Maxey:
“It meant everything, man. It means a lot. It means the hard work that I’ve been putting in has paid off. The work really shows when nobody else is watching. The work that I put in when no one was watching shows when I’m playing in front of thousands in an arena and in front of millions that are watching at home on TV. The work is something I’ve been doing since I’ve been a little kid. My dad has always been on me about working hard. He kept telling me that if I work hard that good things will come to me. If I work hard, then I’ll be where I am today. I’m blessed. I appreciate all the fans. I appreciate all the people that believed in me.”
What were some of your dad’s lessons?
Tyrese Maxey:
“There were a lot. The biggest thing he taught me was that ‘Proper preparation prevents poor performance.’ That’s something that I live by. He was always big on the basics. He played in Division I [at Washington State] and played for Coach [Kelvin] Sampson. He was big on being able to shoot, being able to pass, being able to dribble and being able to defend. If you do those things, you can always play. Ever since then, I’ve been trying to elevate my game to different high levels.”
What do you think that you, Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and Tyrese Haliburton are the lone members of your draft class so far to make an All-Star team?
Tyrese Maxey:
“I think it’s a good class. It’s a solid class that is probably a little underrated. We have a lot of great guys in that class. I think Desmond Bane is somebody that sticks out in that class as well. Same with Jaden McDaniels and Immanuel Quickley. There are a lot of guys that are going to play a big piece on championship-level teams or contending-level teams.”
How has it landed with you that you were drafted at No. 20 instead of higher?
Tyrese Maxey:
“It is what it is. It’s about fit over pick. I think this is the right place for me. I got an opportunity to play here, and I’ve been able to show what I’m able to do. Honestly when I first got here, I don’t think the team had many expectations of me. They were probably thinking of sending me to the G League. But I was so determined to show what I can do earlier in training camp and earlier in the season. Coach Doc [Rivers] gave me the opportunity to play and show what I can do. I did that throughout the season and the playoffs as well. Then it took off.”
How has Joel’s spirits been during his absence?
Tyrese Maxey:
“Joel has been great. He’s always happy. He’s a good dude. He’s always around and with us on the court. He always wants to be around and help us. He’s always sending us texts and trying to motivate us. He’s always positive. We appreciate him for that.”
How have you adjusted playing with Nick compared to Doc?
Tyrese Maxey:
“They’re two different coaches. They have two different philosophies. They have two different schedules. I appreciate Doc, and Nick has been great as well. Coach Doc is more traditional because that’s how he grew up and played in the league. Nick Nurse has this open mind and he tries to teach in different ways.”
He said he’s trying to get on you about your defense. What do you think of his feedback?
Tyrese Maxey:
“It’s been great. I’ve just been trying to do a better job with getting into the ball and being disruptive and trying to find ways to help my team on that end. He’s been great. I have nothing but positive things to say about Coach Nurse. He’s helped me with my confidence. At the beginning of the year, he said he wanted me to go out there and be myself. That’s what I’ve been trying to do.”
What’s your outlook on what team can do in the playoffs given the uncertainty with Embiid and the East landscape?
Tyrese Maxey:
“I think we’re in a good spot. We’re pretty confident against anybody if Joel is playing. We’re trying to win as many games as possible. We want to step in the right direction by playing high-level basketball on our ways to the playoffs. As long as we’re doing that, we’ll be pretty happy.”
Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.
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