Tyrese Maxey has done nothing but get better year in and year out. In his rookie season, Maxey was every bit the part of a small guard drafted outside of the lottery. He had a few brilliant flashes, but only started eight games in 2020-21 and averaged just over 15 minutes a night.
While he became a starter in his second season in Philadelphia, the 17.5 points per game that he averaged in 2021-22 were still a far cry from the 28.3 points per game he just averaged this past season. His scoring averages
have improved every season as have his totals in lots of statistical departments. There’s a reason Maxey has become such a fan favorite in Philadelphia. He works hard, gets better all the time and isn’t satisfied with just making it to the second round.
But as we head into the offseason, it’s fair to question what kind of ceiling a team built around Maxey and his backcourt mate VJ Edgecombe will have. The Sixers didn’t just get swept by the Knicks due to a lack of depth. Their bench problems might have been the most jarring concern and the single biggest reason Daryl Morey got fired, but their starters were also outplayed by New York’s starting lineup. Therefore, it’s fair to surmise that a deeper Philadelphia roster in seasons ahead could be more competitive in the second round, but still lose in the same round if Maxey can’t ever be the best player in a series of that caliber.
For what it’s worth, during the media session after Game 4 against the Knicks, Maxey did admit that the finger injury flared up again in the Knicks series. He indicated that it had been an issue late in the regular season, then started to feel better by the play-in tournament and in the Boston series, only for it to become a nagging issue against New York. Maxey, the consummate professional he is, did however quickly admit that the finger issue was not an excuse for his inefficient performances against the Knicks.
The big thing the 2020 first-round pick out of Kentucky can take from getting swept out of the playoffs in the second round is the way New York defended him. If Maxey is going to be the straw that stirs the drink for the Sixers in future postseasons, he’ll have to get used to some of the looks he saw from the Knicks and find better ways to combat them.
“I saw multiple bodies every single night, like every single pick-and-roll,” Maxey said of New York’s defense. “It was the trap. Every single Brunson action. It was a trap. Every single time I got downhill. The entire team was in the paint. I was trying to kick out and I gotta really watch because I think this was definitely one of the hardest series I played in for just myself, and I had to be better for my teammates.”
It should be noted that this was probably a first for Maxey when it comes to being the offensive focal point of the Philadelphia attack. Certainly an argument could be made that a lot of respect was paid to him in the 2024 series against the Knicks, but Joel Embiid was playing at a higher level then, having had a 50-point game in that series. In the 2022 and 2023 postseasons in which Maxey was a regular in Philly’s starting lineup, James Harden was also handling the ball a lot.
Heading into 2026-27, there is no doubt that Maxey is going to have to be the primary option for the Sixers offensively, and really the player that makes the entire engine go for the Sixers. Everyone knows at this point that Embiid can’t be counted on to be the team’s best player on a nightly basis. If Paul George is back with the Sixers next season, it’s also abundantly obvious that George is best suited as a 3-and-D wing who isn’t handling the ball a ton. It all went through Maxey for most of 2025-26 and that’s going to have to continue moving forward. The question for Maxey will be if he can continue to improve as the team’s A-lister.
One thing that should be helpful for Maxey is the comfort and peace of mind he can take from knowing that Edgecombe will be a fixture in Philadelphia’s starting lineup for years to come. The two-time All-Star noted that improving his play off the ball will be an area that he’ll look to focus in on during the offseason. Maxey implied that the drafting of Edgecombe started to allow him to handle the ball less in 2025-26 and that continuing to improve as an off-ball guard will allow the Sixers to throw different looks at opposing defenses.
It might feel hard to believe, but Maxey is entering his seventh season in the NBA come the fall. He sure sounded like a leader as well after Philly’s season ended. There’s a lot of focus pointed in Edgecombe’s direction and understandably so. But Maxey made references to the invaluable experience that younger players like Justin Edwards and Adem Bona got having appeared in playoff games for the first time in their careers. There’s no doubt Maxey carries himself like a leader off the court. As we approach the summer, he’ll need to figure out the next step that comes with being at the top of the opponent’s scouting report.
