Tyrese Maxey is vital to the Sixers' hopes. The “chip” on his shoulder makes him ready to take the lead

The Philadelphia 76ers universe will always revolve around Joel Embiid. And for good reason.

When healthy, he is one of the best and most dominant basketball players in the world. The ability of a player of his stature will always be intoxicating. His personality will always be there, but the questions about his consistency and the fact that he has yet to win at the highest level in his career will be a constant point of conversation.

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Whenever Paul George heals from the bone bruise he suffered in Atlanta last week, many eyes will be on his progress. And for good reason.

He is Philly's most valuable summer acquisition. But he's also the smooth, skilled big winger the 76ers have been missing. His shooting technique and ability to break through a defense off the dribble could do wonders in opening up space for Embiid, especially in the playoffs. As with Embiid, questions about his health and stamina will arise, as will questions about his drive to finally become a champion.

Embiid and George are talented and dynamic. They can provide storylines that feed talk shows for weeks. But when you look at how high the Philadelphia 76ers can go, Tyrese Maxey may be the most important person in this locker room, even if Embiid is the best player. Depending on whether Embiid and George are at optimal health when the playoffs roll around, and whether they have enough gas in the tank to take advantage of that health, the Sixers hope to be a championship contender.

With the regular season starting Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center against the Milwaukee Bucks, that won't be easy. And this is where Maxey comes into play. His unique talent is immense. He has the ability to score en masse and keep a defense off the dribble like few point guards in the league. He has proven that he is a playoff contender. The chip on his shoulder from his time being overlooked on the AAU circuit still lingers today.

The 76ers need Maxey. You need him to score points. You need it to create something for others. Despite his youth – he is only 23 years old – they need him as a leader. You need him to be the best version of himself.

“I think the biggest part is leadership,” Maxey said The athlete. “I have to lead by example. I have to lead with my voice. I know I'm young, but I have to play well, and if I can do that, I can command respect with my game. I think Joel gave me the green light to lead, especially because he doesn't talk that much. I have a lot of veterans in the locker room who are here to help me. But I really want to lead by example by working hard.”

The NBA announced this today @sixers Guard Tyrese Maxey as @nbacares Winner of the Bob Lanier Community Assist Award for the offseason.

Maxey is being recognized for his efforts supporting youth in Philadelphia and his hometown of Dallas through the Tyrese Maxey Foundation.

More:… pic.twitter.com/5QDj9wjgkr

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) October 17, 2024

How do you build a breakout season? How do you improve after making your first All-Star appearance, winning the NBA's Most Improved Player title, and dropping nearly 26 points per game? How do you take the big chip on your shoulder when you announce your arrival as a star player and keep it after you become a star player?

These are the questions Maxey must ask himself as he begins this season. He had long flashes of excellence, and they were important clues to what awaited him. But last season was the first time everything came together at a star level as an NBA player. He was even better for the Sixers in their only playoff series against the New York Knicks, matching Knicks star Jalen Brunson shot for shot and seemingly scoring at will.

“He’s super talented,” George said. “The scary thing is that he is still trying to understand the game. He's still learning how to play the dominant Tyrese Maxey. Once he learns how to do it on every possession, he will become even better as a player. He's really talented but also very humble, and that's an amazing quality for someone so young. He is mature beyond his years. My job is to make the game easier for him and give him the opportunity to work with the ball, get away from the screens and do his thing. I'm here to help him and he has been very accepting of learning from other people. It’s been a great partnership so far.”

On many days after training this preseason, Maxey and George worked together, going over game situations, how they would react and play off each other. In the only game in which they were together longer – a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves – they looked unsettled in the first quarter. Then came the second half and they put on a show, getting into the lane at will, playing off each other and taking turns taking shots.

The moment was certainly fleeting as George only played extended minutes in that one game. But you could see the vision of how dynamic the two could be on the floor together.

“You can really see it,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. “The first thing I said when you talk about Paul George is you get a bucket maker. But there are things we want to clean up and we need to bring them down to earth a little more and get them going a little bit. You need to get them together and get them a few more reps. There’s a lot that’s new, but we want to get everyone involved in the rhythm of the offense.”

What does the improvement look like for Maxey? And why is he so important to the Sixers making it through the regular season?

Neither Embiid nor George will play all 82 games. Both were officially excluded from Wednesday night's opening game. In Embiid's case, he may not play anywhere near 82 games. If Maxey is the only star player on the roster whose availability during the regular season is in the 70s based on games played, there will be nights when he does the heavy lifting. These are the nights he needs to thrive.

There are examples of this. Last February, Maxey dropped a career-high 51 points in a win over the Utah Jazz. During the postseason, with Embiid limping and not at 100 percent, Maxey effectively became the No. 1 option in the series against the Knicks. Before the regular season begins, there is no way to know what Embiid and George's availability will look like. But injuries aside, all other things being equal, it's safe to assume that Maxey has the longest endurance of the three.

Philadelphia general manager Daryl Morey went to great lengths to add depth to the roster. In particular, moving from Paul Reed to Andre Drummond as Embiid's replacement represents a significant jump. But two things here are true: Maxey will have nights where the offense gets through him, and the Sixers can't afford that at No. 7 the Eastern Conference, which they were last spring, and that ultimately led to a first-round loss. The room for improvement in this seeding could well depend on how many games the Sixers win without Embiid or George, or both, in the lineup.

“We don’t want Tyrese to be anything other than himself,” Drummond said. “He is so dynamic that he can take a shot at any time. But he is also selfless. I definitely enjoy playing with him.”

With George in the squad, Maxey might not score quite as many goals this season. But efficiency, attacking and defending are areas where he can improve. Maxey was very efficient last season. He shot 45 percent from the field and almost 38 percent from 3-point range. But Maxey's offensive talent is enormous. He is capable of challenging for the legendary 50-40-90 club: He shoots 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent from the free throw line.

His progress over the years has been steady yet spectacular. Coming out of Kentucky, he was undervalued and held until the 21st pick. He began his NBA career as a backup player and there are still times when Maxey reflects on his heritage and how far he has come and how far he still has to go.

“I always had that chip with me from day one,” Maxey said. “I had to earn everything I got from a basketball perspective. I had to earn the offer from Kentucky and make a name for myself. So always think about it. But I tried hard to foresee and imagine this for myself. I'm blessed because when I got here, Doc (Rivers) gave me opportunities. He gave me the chance to be successful from day one.”

With Embiid, George and Maxey on the floor, the Sixers clearly find themselves in a position to attack from all directions. And this is where George Maxey can help. He can initiate the offense, which means Maxey doesn't have to bring the ball up, call the plays, get Philly on offense and score the points on every possession. The presence of Maxey and George should do wonders for Embiid in terms of spacing and giving him more room to work his offensive magic in all areas of the court.

But Maxey's playoff streak last April is perhaps the best sign of all. That means Philadelphia has someone to step up their game in the postseason. And the Sixers have needed this for a long time.

“The most important thing about the playoffs is how physical it is,” Maxey said. “I've been to the playoffs before, but this was the first time I was a player that the other team was playing against. So it was nice to have some success, but I wanted to learn from it, take what I learned into the summer and get better.”

(Photo: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)