Good post by ClutchPoints.
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Tyrese Maxey was always a possibility. But today, he’s become a reality.
When the Sixers traded Harden, they lost someone who led the league in both points and assists multiple times. So Maxey had to score and pass more. A lot more.
In 3 of his last 4 games, Maxey has recorded at least 10 assists. Before this season, he never had a 10-assist game.
Tyrese also has more 10-assist, 0-turnover games than the entire league COMBINED this season. That’s a real stat. Look it up.
8 games in, and Tyrese Maxey is a top-15 scorer in the NBA. He’s averaging more points per game than LeBron, Dame, PG, Haliburton, AD, Kawhi, Zion and Kyrie.
And 8 games in, Tyrese leads the league in distanced traveled at 3 miles per game. He’s everywhere. Literally in every play, averaging career highs in points, assists, rebounds, steals and blocks.
Before the season started, ESPN ranked Maxey 42nd and Harden 43rd in the NBA. Harden was a system and Maxey was a system player.
But times have changed, and Maxey has made the leap.
When Doc Rivers got fired, he was asked about James Harden. What happened? Why didn’t it work?
“We were the best team in the NBA for a 10-20 game stretch…[James Harden] really was playing perfectly. I would say not making the All-Star team really bothered him…About a game or two after that, he called me and said, ‘Hey, I want to come and start playing the second unit more.’ And I knew exactly what that means.”
Harden missed his first All Star Game in a decade, and Maxey now looks destined to make his first All Star Game this season playing the role Harden didn’t want anymore.
Call it irony. Call it karma. Or maybe just call it facts.
Because losing a former MVP was the best thing that could’ve happened to the Sixers…