Second-year Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, who has shifted over one position to starting shooting guard since James Harden joined the lineup, is off to a hot start as part of the new-look backcourt, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The 21-year-old is averaging 24.5 PPG while shooting 66.6% from the floor in his first two games with Harden.
Now that Harden has mostly taken over ball-handling duties, Maxey is able to function more as a scorer than as a set-up man.
“He’s actually playing the position now that he’s played his whole life,” head coach Doc Rivers said. “So in some ways, he’s very comfortable playing the way he’s playing.”
For the season, his first as a full-time starter, Maxey is averaging 17.2 PPG, 4.5 APG and 3.6 RPG, all career highs.
There’s more out of the City of Brotherly Love:
- Sixers reserve big man Paul Millsap is excited for a fresh start in Philadelphia. Millsap, a four-time All-Star, revealed that the Sixers were the first club to recruit him in free agency last summer, per Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Millsap said the deal that sent him and Harden to the Sixers from the Nets was “meant to be.” Across four games with Philadelphia, the 37-year-old is averaging 5.5 PPG and 3.0 RPG in 11.0 MPG.
- After the Sixers offloaded Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and future draft picks for All-NBA guard Harden and Millsap, a reduction in touches was in order for Philadelphia forward Tobias Harris. The 6’8″ vet appreciates the necessity of his new role in the club’s pecking order, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “That’s what winning basketball is all about,” Harris said of the change. In his two games played with Harden thus far, Harris has taken a total of 18 shots from the floor, averaging just 9.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 3.0 APG. Across 51 total games this season, Harris is averaging 18.3 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 3.6 APG on .479/.347/.855 shooting splits.
- Given that Harden has just successfully forced his way off a team with apathetic on-court performances for the second time in two NBA seasons, Tommy Beer of Basketball News opines that several other star players could follow suit, as has been happening for the past few seasons.
Morey should be arrested for getting Harden. Harden makes everyone in the lineup better. That deal was a steal
Wait til the postseason … :)
26 6 4
26 4 5
28 3 7
25 5 8
28 7 6
26 5 7
33 6 7
24 4 9
29 4 7
28 5 7
28 5 6
27 6 8
34 7 5
29 6 8
29 4 7
27 7 10
10 5 6
James Hardens PTS TRB and AST in every playoff series since he joined Houston.
Stop soaking the cork. Harden was injured in the playoffs last year, every other trip he balled out.
The sixers hate in here is laughable.
No one has ever doubted his offensive abilities..But, he was constantly getting attacked in alot of those series, playing zero defense…(Which he has improved upon admittingly)
Even still though, every time his team was eliminated, it just seemed like Harden had some key moments to step up and he fell flat…
That’s why he gets the bad rap for his postseason play…It isn’t his numbers, it is his lack of clutch plays when his team needed him the most, while ultimately losing year after year in the playoffs.
The fact he’s played alongside some of the absolute best in his career, and yet he’s never had his bright moment leading a team to even just the finals…
Thats why the majority of NBA fans puts Harden on the same tier as Westbrook in terms of their career accomplishments…They’re looked upon as ball dominant, selfish stat stuffers, that don’t play hard on defense, and we’re never able to help lead their team to the promise land. Always coming up short for one reason or another…
Whether it is true or not, that’s just the reputation Harden has earned. Plus, he earned alot of detractors by flopping and flailing around in Houston constantly trying to force officials into calls, playing a very cheap and boring brand of basketball at times..He was the poster-child for the new rule changes this year..
Also, he certainly hasn’t endeared himself to anyone, nor helped himself, except to maybe 76ers fans, by the way he has quit on his past two teams forcing his way out..
He cannot change his past, but if he’s able to help lead the 76ers to the Finals, he can at least put a bow on what has been an excellent and amazing offensive career. It will definitely FINALLY get him past the stigma that he can’t help lead a championship team, but he’s going to have to win to do it..He can help himself some if he plays really well in a loss, despite making some clutch shots, and not missing them. Otherwise, it’ll be the same story how he wore down at the end, or just choked, and couldn’t handle the pressure of winning a title..
He didn’t have a player anywhere close to Embiids level in Houston. Top 5 MVP and Top 5 DPOY. They also have Thybulle who should be 1st or 2nd Team Defense. CP3 Dwight and Brick were not as good as Embiid.
I’d say Embiid has shown a lack to finish off opponents in the play-offs, too. He’s on the same path as Harden and Westbrook. And to an earlier comment, I think the 76ers “hate in here” is more an observation that this org will quickly devolve into a CYA outfit with no loyalty when the fan base starts to turn on them.. and if history repeats itself again for Embiid and Harden then, oh boy, get your popcorn out…
I mean, his career playoff shooting percentages are .428 and .332 from three, as opposed to .443 and .362 from three.
It isn’t as big a difference as people make it out to be, but there is no doubt Harden has performed worse in the playoffs.
6ers look good but they loaded the Nets to get him. If Nets block 6ers from Finals the trade will go down as a mistake
If my Aunt had balls she’d be my uncle. Ben wasn’t playing here. Harden was the best player they couldn’t get.
The 6er stats with Harden included are remarkable.
The Cavs will get swamped in the EC down the stretch by 6ers, Celts & Nets.
Harris should go down in the pecking order,too inconsistent
The BEARD makes not only his free throws but everyone else around him elevate their game. The icing on the proverbial cake ?? You dont need to sit your point guard at crunch time.
Wait til the postseason before you celebrate :)
the basketball gods will come to collect.
I don’t understand how Harden is the scapegoat for players forcing themselves out when Ben did the exact same thing. He could have stepped back on the court at anytime. And this whole “if nets block the sixers from winning the east, sixers lose the trade”. The Sixers won the trade the moment Harden stepped on the court. And honestly the Nets won as well as soon as they shipped out Harden. Each team got what they wanted. Both teams need to beat Miami still.
Because Harden did it first and he did it twice?
Short memories. Is there a process for that?
Not to mention the Bucks…People disrespect the Bucks so hard it ain’t funny…
They’re only the defending champions people..
I’m a Bulls fan, but the East runs through the Bucks. You cannot be the best until you beat the best, and there is nothing that says the Bucks aren’t as good as they were last season..
Yes, some teams may be better, but they still have to stop and beat Giannis, Middleton, Jrue, Portis, Allen, and Co. Head to Head, 4 times out of 7 games to earn the title of best in the East..
Yes, the Bucks level of competition is more difficult if the Nets, 76ers, Celtics, Heat, even the upcoming Cavs, and the Bulls are all healthy…Plus, I am guessing, whichever 8th team makes it out of Toronto, Atlanta, or Charlotte, they aren’t necessarily assured, easy sweeps in the 1st Round either. Overall, the level of talented teams in the East, is much higher this season, but like I said, the Bucks are still the head of the class until they’re beaten..
A team’s incredibly deep bench is excellent for the grind of the season, like Miami this year, but rotations shorten in the post-season. Sometimes coaches over manage their rotations, and it costs them, eventually losing the series because he couldn’t efficiently manage his matchups and rotations. Coaching matters in the playoffs, being able to draw up a scoring play out of a timeout matters when the games are so much closer. (Not implying Spoelstra cannot do that, he’s one of the very best in the league today, and he has been underrated for a long time!!)
Heck, we have even seen teams like this year’s Celtics all of a sudden get extremely hot, and it carries them all the way to the Finals. We have also seen really hot teams get extinguished and seemingly run out of gas once the season ends and the playoffs begin.
The point is anything can happen between now, and the playoffs, or during the playoffs like last season with the “sure thing, Finals bound” Nets losing Kyrie and having Harden all hobbled, only to ultimately lose out to the Bucks and Giannis…
Either way, I’m going with the Bucks until someone beats them..I can’t just label any other team as the favorite without seeing them matchup against the Bucks in a series…The one thing I do know, however, is this is going to be some of the best post-season Eastern conference matchups we have seen in a LOOOONG time!!
That is a good trend that Harden is setting then, right?
I mean if teams can trade players whenever they feel like, even when the player doesn’t wanna be traded, then players can ask for trades whenever they feel like, even when the team doesn’t wanna trade him, right?
Way I figure it out is ’bout fair enough!
Why does ever trade need a winner and a loser?
Sixers got back James Harden for a guy that refused to play. Everyone on here was saying he would be lucky to get Buddy Heild and Harrison Barnes for him.
Nets their guy wanted out and was going to leave in FA. They got back an elite shooter, elite rebounder, elite defender and some picks. Was an absolute haul.
It was a great deal for both sides.
It’s like the AD trade. Yes the Lakers then went on to win a title but look at them now, they suck. Bron is old, AD is soft and often injured, and Russ is washed. Pelicans aren’t great themselves and Zion has his own issues but they got back a solid return and with CJ look way better.
As for how the two games have gone. As to be expected Harden suits that running the offence role with a co star to help in Embiid. Maxey and Harris both suit that third string role. Harris did his part but was out of his depth as the sidekick and Maxey was excellent but you knew it wouldn’t last as a whole. Now it’s looking optimistic. Harris needs to adjust to being the third/fourth option. Your going to get maybe 10/12 shots per game, a lot of catch and shoot threes, lots from the corners but occasionally you might need to make a big play and make the correct decision. Maxey he suits that off ball guard role perfectly. I knew he would be excellent from the tip. He isn’t a ball dominate player and his best shots are coming off screens in catch and shoot looks, catching the ball of a screen and getting into the lane for a floater or simply just cutting to the rim. He’s not a heavy iso guy and playing off Harden is perfect. I hope Harden can go back to his vintage self with the plethora of step backs, dicing his opponents on his way to the rim on a three point play and dropping 40 pieces regularly.
People may have short memories about the negative stuff on Harden and Embiids injury concerns but don’t forget also Harden is one of the best scorers in the league and was in the debate for one of the best scorers of all time. Embiid is arguably the most dominant big man in the game when he chooses. If Doc can get this thing to work it could be brilliant
Lastly one quick thing, I think we give so many teams in the east problems without match ups.
Cavs, we put Thybulle on Garland and Embiid clogs the paint on Allen and Mobley they really struggle to score on us. Not to mention on offence who take Harden on their team.
Bulls, they look solid this regular season but I’m not buying it. Embiid kills Vuce down low at both ends, BBQ Chicken. Who takes Harden? Caruso? You starting Caruso? Okay where he playing PF? In which case does that means DeRozan is on Harris cause that’s a miss match too. On defence they are a team which shoots the least three pointers so we drop a little, goodluck against Embiid down low and with Thybulle getting steals galore.
Nets, Embiid walks all over Drummond everyday of the week, and who takes Harden? They definitelyhave shooters
Wasn’t meant to post…
Was going to say, Nets have shooters tho. But we have three and D guys, Harden can play some D, Maxey can, Thybulle ofcourse, Green, Niang. It would be a close series.
Bucks are tough for anybody. Embiid vs Giannas is tough, Harden will be up against Holiday, even Harris on Middleton ain’t great. They also have the advantage of depth. Bucks on paper have the best side.
Celtics could give us some big issues, we should try to avoid them. Embiid has struggled with Horford in the past. They have Smart for Harden and Brown on Maxey, Tatum on Harris. Down the other end tho they only have two options really Brown and Tatum throw Thybulle on one and Embiid down low it’s going to be hard for them. I’d try a void these guys.
Even the heat, can Bam take Embiid? Butler on Harden sure, Lowry on Maxey hmmm, Tucker on Harris okay. Then down the other end Thybulle on Butler, Embiid on Bam, Tucker don’t do none. Apparently they have a good bench but all I see is undrafted rookie or second rounders besides Herro ofcourse.
“apparently they have a good bench but all I see is undrafted rookie or second rounders besides Herro ofcourse.
Come on dude. You’re supposed to judge by how they play in the NBA, not by where they were drafted.
I can’t watch all teams….
But in paper that bench doesn’t sound like much but by most reports they are good. Be interesting if that you group of underdogs can keep it up in the toughest moments
Bulls could give then some problems if they’re 100% healthy. Ball on Harden, and they’d likely play Thompson and Bradley more against Embiid to help Vucevic..Green can take Maxey. Williams can take Harris and help out on Embiid..Then, LaVine can take Curry and Derozan can take Thybulle..They’ll also have Caruso and Ayo to help out defensively as well…
They can put Thybulle on Derozan or LaVine, but he cant guard them both, Vucevic can get Embiid out on the perimeter, White and Ayo aren’t easy assignments themselves, Ball can make plays and will push the tempo, Caruso can knock down some tough shots, and then Williams is a versatile scoring option as well..
This Bulls team can be extremely formidable when they’re completely healthy. I wouldn’t be so quick to count them out just yet. I ultimately think they’d get beaten by the Bucks, 76ers, and a full strength Nets team, but they’ll definitely be a tough out and give each of those team a hard fought, competitive series..People forget, even without Williams, when this team was almost fully healthy they were a top 5 defensive team..
They’ve been miraculously hanging on despite always missing at least two of their key regulars, if not more..I definitely wouldn’t want to face them if they’re fully healthy. They’re plenty capable of knocking out most teams..
Not quite sure you understand what the meaning of “smoldering” is, Alex Kirschenbaum; it’s pretty much the opposite of what Maxey has been with Harden.