October 03, 2023
Eric Hartline/USA TODAY SPORTS
Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey could blossom into a star in his fourth year as he sees a larger ball-handling role.
Throughout Monday morning's media day, an array of Philadelphia 76ers addressed James Harden's absence. Anyone who's played alongside the All-Star guard, whether in Philadelphia or elsewhere, was asked about his no-show. Everyone provided similar answers about focusing on what they can control and that they'd welcome him back if he so chooses.
The upshot of those questions, though, laid the stage for an opportunity to discuss fellow guard Tyrese Maxey, who's entering his fourth season and will presumably receive quite the uptick in ball-handling to mitigate Harden's tenuous availability. With Harden in the fold, Maxey is a dynamo off-ball scorer who steers the perimeter offense whenever his backcourt mate rests. Without Harden around, his side gig becomes the primary job.
Head coach Nick Nurse said Monday he's constructing Plan A and Plan B to accommodate the unknown of Harden. Maxey took it a step further. He touts 26 plans, and has trained "all my life" to function on and off the ball.
"I'm ready for Plan C, D, all the way down to Z," Maxey said. "Honestly, I've just been doing a lot of things to find ways to get better, find ways to fine-tune my game, find ways to be the best possible version of Tyrese Maxey that I can be."
During the offseason, he simulated game scenarios with friends and family back home in Garland, Texas, playing 3-on-3 and 4-on-4. He'd lead pick-and-rolls and be forced to execute based on how helpside and on-ball defenders reacted. Is the pocket pass to Joel Embiid available? What about a skip pass to the opposite corner? What about a swing pass to the strong-side corner? Are they taking away every passing read and leaving him open to score?
Every nuance of ball-screen decision-making was explored. The 22-year-old also spent time with Drew Hanlen, who trains the likes of Embiid, Jayson Tatum and Bradley Beal. Together, the two of them honed in on his ball-handling and pace.
"Because I'm so fast, me being able to play slow is going to help me a lot this year," Maxey said.
Nurse thinks the biggest aspect his arrival will unlock for the track star guard's development is the learning curve associated with more on-ball reps. He'll gain experience dissecting an assortment of coverages and schemes. Opponents will defend him differently because he'll be deployed differently. Games will offer new chances and challenges to grow.
Expectations are earned through prior history. Veteran teammates such as Embiid and Danny Green bestowing the possibility of a leap onto Maxey's shoulders is a testament to his first three years. Embiid said they're "looking up to someone like Tyrese to take that next step." Green labeled him one of this team's leaders, anticipates an All-Star-caliber campaign and believes Nurse's impact will be "huge."
"Nick's a highly positive guy. I'm not saying that Doc [Rivers] wasn't, but it's a different change. It's two different types of coaching," Green said. "I think it'll allow Tyrese to be who he is. He'll be the happy, fun-loving guy that everyone sees him to be and smiling on the court and playing his best basketball."
Maxey said Monday that by the end of last season, he "really got confident" in catering to the strengths of his defense by pressuring assignments at the point-of-attack, generating steals and causing havoc. Continued progress, he said, stems from film study, adding muscle and believing in himself.
"I think my next step is off the ball, trying to find ways to be in gaps," he said. "I think coach Nurse has a really good system-type strategy that will help me. ... I'm gonna keep working on that and hey, one day, we'll have a presser where I don't get asked about my defense."
For years, Maxey has flashed as a pestering defender who wiggles over screens, can chase around off-ball shooters and darts into space for takeaways. Rivers wasn't shy about handing him some testy assignments either; previous battles against Trae Young and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander come to mind. Under Nurse, the goal will be to streamline those flashes into reliable contributions. If he does, it will likely be part of the reason he ascends to full-fledged stardom, makes good on the credence of his teammates and is no longer prodded about defense during pressers.
