by DETROIT — Some days, it’s with boundless energy and a big smile, others, it’s by taking teammates to task after a bad loss.
However, on a snowy Saturday morning in Detroit, Tyrese Maxey was singing old-school Motown tunes to get energized for the Philadelphia 76ers shootout. The music was breathtaking and Maxey, who was only born in 2000, some 30 years after Motown’s heyday, acted as if the hits had been released yesterday.
“My grandmothers, man,” he said.
There’s a maturity about Maxey that belies the energy, that accepts responsibility for the 76ers’ fate even though no one in their right mind would dare say he’s not holding up his end of the bargain.
That night, Paul George returned after a three-game absence; his debut in Philadelphia was riddled with injuries that sapped the enthusiasm with which the franchise began the season. Joel Embiid missed Saturday’s game, as he has so many others, due to knee problems that have hampered his career and will likely continue to do so as he advances into his 30s.
That leaves Maxey as the only star trying to keep the 76ers afloat, as only the Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz have worse records to date.
Maxey was supposed to be part of a top-heavy, well-built unit, a sound-type change in direction from deliberate George and plodding Embiid. Now he finds himself at the top of the scouting report every night.
“I wouldn’t say I was going to get into anything,” Maxey told Yahoo Sports. “I had a special season last year, so I knew after Joel I was right there at the top.” But Maxey acknowledges having to play different ways when Embiid and George aren’t in the lineup, while also adjusting to the team’s new players. “So we have to figure out how we want to play, who goes well with who. It takes time.
But it’s very early for the 76ers. In their next eight games, four will face powerhouse teams: the surprising Orlando Magic (twice), the conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Christmas Day champion Boston Celtics.
“I mean, we can’t go much further than we are right now,” Maxey said. “Honestly, the only way forward is up. It will be on us. I think we’ve gotten better, man. In the last three games we really competed.
That’s the bar now, just competing, at least until the 76ers figure out how to make things right with the Embiid situation still seemingly in flux. The minus-7 point differential per night aligns with the record of 4-14, and when frustration reached an inflection point two weeks ago, when the 76ers blew a 19-point lead and lost by 17 to Miami, it was Maxey who spoke at an impromptu team meeting.
According to sources, the 24-year-old guard challenged Embiid to be on time, to take this season as seriously as expectations demand. Maybe it should have been head coach Nick Nurse or team president Daryl Morey, but Maxey felt obligated.
“I feel like the reason when I say things it kind of travels is just because I work extremely hard,” Maxey said. “I work extremely hard, man. Everything I say comes from a good place. All I want is to win. Honestly, I don’t care about anything else. All the individual accolades, everything else, it means nothing to me if we don’t win.
Maxey led the league in minutes per game before injuring his hamstring against the Clippers on November 6 in Los Angeles. Naturally, his effectiveness was affected due to the added load, so when he returned, the 76ers put him on a minutes restriction and “that didn’t sit well with me,” Maxey said.
“As much as I can play, I’ll play,” Maxey said. “I try to do different things, not on match days – I have to reduce my pace a little bit just because I want to play on the pitch when it counts. I will always give 110 percent effort.
His first game, on November 20, was difficult, but in the next four games, production was not a problem. After talking, he walked (27.5 points on a 47-50-92 score with 6.3 assists and 3.3 steals).
“This is his team,” 76ers center Andre Drummond told Yahoo Sports before changing his statement. “His and Joel’s team. They’ve been here the longest, they’ve built this team up over the years they’ve been here. It’s good to see our leader express himself. Tyrese isn’t one to say much, he does in his play. So it’s cool to hear him say certain things to certain guys and make demands. He has demands on me too. He wants to see the next guy be great.
Even if these demands are aimed at Embiid, the cornerstone of the franchise. Drummond said Maxey didn’t hesitate to stop practice and correct his teammates if something wasn’t done well.
“The maturity has been enormous. He is much more vocal. He says what he thinks,” Drummond said. “Just seeing his growth as a leader has been incredible. »
It’s important to remember that Maxey, who signed his rookie extension this summer, waited an entire year so the 76ers could preserve salary cap space to lure George away from the Clippers. He would have had every right to lock in his own future and not risk getting hurt or anything else happening in the meantime.
While it’s a little cringe-worthy to see a player make that sacrifice in real time, it certainly gives a lot more weight to his words in the locker room. So while he makes sure to keep everyone’s spirits up, Maxey also has to keep his cup full.
“Honestly, I’m blessed now. I’m so happy to play basketball,” Maxey said. “The few weeks I couldn’t play, I was depressed. I was upset. Because it hurts, man, you can’t be out there with your teammates and try to go out there and go to war with them, help them win games.
“So you never hear me complain.” Man, I always try to bring positive energy and have fun while doing it.
