Well, who predicted the Sixers would be 5-1, joint first in the Eastern Conference, and have the league’s second-best offensive rating (123) and sixth-best net rating (+7.2) to start the season?
The team’s
performance and vibes have been brilliant to open 2025-26, and now we have some news to make the vibes even sweeter. Tyrese Maxey has been named NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Oct. 27 to Nov. 2, and how deserving he is.
He put up 33.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 9.8 assists to only 2.8 turnovers, 1.3 steals and 46.7/39.5/89.2 shooting splits over the week, while leading Philly to a 3-1 record.
Maxey has been playing absolutely lights out to open the new season, putting up major career-highs across the board. Through the first six games overall, he’s sitting at 33.7 points with a ridiculous 62.7 true shooting percentage, a league-leading 4.3 made threes on 46.4 percent shooting from deep, 4.8 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.
He’s even become just the fifth player in NBA history to open a season with six straight games of 25+ points and 5+ assists.
It’s the level of control and comfort that goes with the phenomenal stats, too. Maxey looks better than ever manipulating defenses, besting opponents with his change of pace and shot-making at all three levels, and operating as a passer.
Obviously it’s a tiny sample size and we’ve barely put a dent in the season, but he’s truly up there with the NBA’s very best players with his play at the moment.
Along with the emphatic arrival of VJ Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr. playing his best basketball, Quentin Grimes thriving, and other role players like Adem Bona and Andre Drummond all doing their bit, the Sixers have been strong overall — even with notable absences in Paul George and Jared McCain.
If Maxey can keep playing anything like this, and leading the team while sparking such high energy, up-tempo play, the Sixers’ potential this year is clearly better than anticipated.
