Tyrese Maxey is stepping up as a leader for the Sixers alongside a star-studded roster.
To learn the true value of a player and what his teammates and coaches think of him, follow the basketball and see who has it in the most moments of truth.
For the Philadelphia 76ers, there are options. When the situation calls for ball distribution and snap decisions, LeBron James is the best choice. His passing makes teammates better. He has the fourth-most assists in league history for a reason.
If they need a bucket in the paint, it’s hard to go wrong when dumping down low to Joel Embiid, who has the combination of size and footwork to be beastly near the rim.
Isolations? Jaylen Brown thrives on 1-on-1s and, because of his strength and quickness, can claim an advantage in switches and mismatches.
But throughout the course of 48 minutes, and especially late in close games, Tyrese Maxey seems most qualified, strangely enough on a team with multiple MVPs and NBA Finals MVPs. At his current rate this season — it’s a small sample size, however — Maxey could generate MVP chatter for himself.
That says plenty about Maxey’s development and ascent on a team of stars. Here in what’s sure to be a resounding season for the Sixers, Maxey is their leading scorer and … No. 1 option?
He’s coming off a game with 17 fourth-quarter points, including a pair of cold and clutch 3-pointers in the final 70 seconds of a victory against the Pacers. On both possessions, Embiid and LeBron (who set a screen) yielded to Maxey, the surest sign of respect.
Tyrese Maxey turned the fourth INTO. HIS. SHOW.
17 PTS
4-8 FGM
12 MINHe would finish the game with a game-high 27 points as the @sixers move to 4-1 on the season! pic.twitter.com/VeK3xPmX5F
— NBA (@NBA) October 29, 2026
He revealed how those players “got on me” for not taking charge in the first three quarters, and after checking into the game in the fourth quarter, Brown told Maxey: “You owe us, take us home.”
His speed on the open floor, quickness off the dribble, ability to attack the rim and shooting range not only make him stand out among the Sixers but also make him one of the toughest assignments in the league.
The Sixers are running their offense through him, a weighty way of saying Maxey can handle most everything that comes with that responsibility and can make something positive happen. He’s already off to an impressive start, as the Eastern Conference’s first Player of the Week this season, embracing and acing his role from the very jump and confirming coach Nick Nurse’s faith in him.
he’s literally the Eastern Conference Player of the Week 😎 pic.twitter.com/yijCKi6bHa
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 26, 2026
Maxey’s path to stardom
This makes for steady progression for the 25-year-old. Until two years ago, Maxey deferred to Embiid, Ben Simmons and later, Paul George. At one point, in his second season, he split the point guard duties with Shake Milton. He was a young understudy seeking traction and respect around the league and among his teammates then, not unusual for players with his lack of experience in such matters.
Much has happened since: Maxey began making snappier decisions, won the 2024 Kia Most Improved Player Award, became a more diversified scorer and saw his impact rise. Furthermore, Maxey began to think of himself as a No. 1 option, both before LeBron and Brown arrived, and now.
“He seemed to take a level of confidence and maturity jump … he feels so sure of what he can do,” said Nurse.
He also became more comfortable in his skin and with who he is — an undersized shooting guard who now has LeBron around to do most of the distributing.
Maxey assumed the Sixers’ leadership role last season with Embiid’s inconsistent availability and George’s suspension. Maxey was easily the most impactful and consistent player as he earned his second All-Star appearance, his first All-NBA honors and led Philly to the playoffs. It’s rare when a player his size (6-2) hauls so much, especially on a moment’s notice.
What’s even better about Maxey is his durability, which is quite a contrast to Embiid. Maxey led the league in minutes per game last season, averaging 38 per night, and averaged 37 minutes in each of the two previous seasons, ranking among the league leaders. It’s proof of how much the Sixers need him on the floor. Already this season, Maxey is right on pace, averaging 37 minutes per game, good for third in the league.
‘That’s just who he is’
Coincidentally, Maxey and the Sixers host the Knicks on Friday (7:30 ET, Prime Video), their second meeting since opening night, and it provides another interesting matchup of premier smallish guards — Maxey and Jalen Brunson. Last season, Brunson shattered small-man myths and led the Knicks to the championship and Maxey seems well-equipped to do that with the Sixers, provided everything falls Philly’s way.
Maxey came into this season with an open mind after the Sixers added LeBron and Brown, moves he not only endorsed but believes will complement what he brings to the team, along with Embiid.
“I’m comfortable playing in any type of situation at this point in my career,” Maxey said. “I’ve kind of played in so many different circumstances. Our roster this year creates the ability for myself to be in transition more. I don’t always have to bring the ball up. The roster presents the opportunity for me to play off the ball a little more, catch shots, come off screens.”
“The biggest thing for me is hitting go-to shots, something I can go to every single time.”
He showed as much through five games, four of them wins, by averaging 28.4 points, fifth in the league. He’s taking the most shots on the Sixers, good for 46%, and while he struggled from deep the first four games, he was pure when it counted against Indiana.
“That’s just who he is,” Embiid said. “He’s done it at least the last two or three years. He’s taken a leap every single year. I told him before the season I think he should be a 50-40-90 (percent) guy. So, I’m not impressed. I see the work that he’s put in all these years and I will take the credit and say that I was the first one that saw it in him. So yeah, I’m not impressed. That’s just what he does. He puts the work in and he shows up and he does it.”
More than just a scorer
Maxey’s not a poor passer — he did average 6.6 assists per game last season — he’s just better as a scorer and, given the Sixers’ limited options in recent years, they needed his buckets in the past. So, he grew into that role and enhanced it.
Maxey’s offense can often overshadow what he brings defensively. He’s actually underrated in that aspect. His anticipation senses are sharp, his hands quick.
He ranked fifth in the league in steals last season and would’ve been top-10 the previous season had he played enough games to qualify. He’s at nine through five games this season as the Sixers’ most reliable player at that end of the floor.
Maxey, on defense, said: “I’m always going to get better at that every single year. I feel like I took a great step last year.”
He had three steals and three blocks in the opener against the Knicks and Brunson, then added another pair of steals the next game against Cleveland while checking James Harden.
“He totally changed the game,” said Nurse. “He’s out there doing that and the rest of the guys are back there watching. And all of a sudden, they start saying, ‘I’ll be on this, too.’ He provides not only the physical effort to start it, but also kind of a spark that got everyone emotionally going.”
Maxey is making a serious bid for belonging in a select group of two-way players.
“I take a lot of pride in that,” he said.
Nurse will stick with the ‘ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it’ approach about running the offense through Maxey, for a few reasons: LeBron just wants to adapt and pick his spots at his age, Brown fits more on the wing and as a finisher, and anyway, Maxey has flourished at the controls ever since Nurse gave him the keys.
And Nurse evidently has the blessing of Embiid, LeBron and Brown, two MVPs and a Finals MVP, to defer whenever necessary to Maxey, who said:
“I gotta do what my vets tell me to do.”
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.
