January 01, 2025
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Reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week Tyrese Maxey has been brilliant of late.
The Sixers are on the upswing, winners of 10 of their last 13 contests -- including each of their last four games, notching their first four-game winning streak of the season -- finally appearing to be on the verge of looking like the team many hoped they would be in a 2024-25 campaign the organization entered with championship hopes.
Let's see what our friends in the national media have made of the Sixers' significant progression:
The Sixers’ turnaround would not be possible without reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week Tyrese Maxey, who has stepped up time and time again -- especially in clutch moments. Writer John Schuhmann notes Maxey’s brilliance in five consecutive clutch wins between Dec. 16 and Dec. 28:
"With their three wins last week, the Sixers have won their last five games that have been within five points in the last five minutes. And, even when Embiid and George have been on the floor, Maxey has been the man in the clutch. He’s scored 20 of the team’s 41 clutch points (on 7-for-11 shooting) over that stretch and is one of three players – Jimmy Butler and Nikola Jokić are the others – that have shot better than 50% on at least 25 clutch shots for the season." [NBA.com]
Maxey has always been a player who rises to the occasion under pressure, but his recent stretch of particularly terrific performances and moments in crucial end-of-game situations has been a sight to behold. The Sixers need Maxey at his best to realize their potential, and lately he has been just that.
MORE: Has Maxey made a defensive leap?
Writer Tim Bontemps is similarly focused on Maxey, whose impeccable on-court relationship with Joel Embiid has allowed both players to play their best basketball of the season:
"For the many issues that Philadelphia has had over the opening two months of the season, perhaps the most confounding is Tyrese Maxey’s struggles. Maxey winning last week's Player of the Week award feels significant for the 76ers -- and is a huge part of why Philadelphia is now riding a season-high four-game winning streak heading into a back-to-back in Sacramento and Golden State." [ESPN]
Speaking of Embiid and the team’s upcoming back-to-back, Embiid will not play on Wednesday night in Sacramento due to rest, setting him up to continue his most consistent stretch of play all season on Thursday night when the Sixers face the Warriors.
Kelly Oubre Jr. has also been playing terrific two-way basketball for several weeks now, buying into his role and dominating every aspect of it. Writer Mike Sherer discussed Oubre’s improved defense prior to the Sixers’ Monday night contest in Portland:
"An underrated factor has been the improved play of Kelly Oubre Jr., who has been Philly’s best on-ball defender, which is an astonishing sentence for anyone who saw him play in Charlotte. He’s long-armed and opportunistic, catching overconfident ball-handlers by surprise." [HoopsHype]
Against the Trail Blazers, Oubre proceeded to collect a career-high eight steals, tormenting Portland guards and wings alike and tying Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels for the most steals by a player in any NBA game this season. Oubre is absolutely rolling on both ends of the floor right now, but his defense can be game-changing when he is locked in.
MORE: How can Paul George get going as a scorer?
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