The Philadelphia 76ers have been up and down with their mixed performances lately, but are still in a good position early on. Now sporting a 9-6 win-loss card after an impressive win on the road on the second night of a back-to-back against the Bucks, the team finds itself in a deadlock for fifth place in the East, with only one game separating them from the second seed.
Tyrese Maxey has been awe-inspiring for the 76ers so far this season, putting up MVP-caliber numbers night in and out. Despite the All-Star making the leap to superstardom, fans can’t help but be concerned about the amount of effort the coaching staff has given him all season.
The sixth-year guard is currently averaging 40.7 minutes per appearance, easily leading the NBA. He averages more than three full minutes compared to the second leading minute-getter in the league, his teammate VJ Edgecombe. Nick Nurse tries to get the most out of his best player, and he certainly doesn’t shy away from exposing him as much as possible on the ground.
Nick Nurse is once again ignoring 76ers fans with a stern devotion to Tyrese Maxey
That said, fans want to see Maxey’s minutes reduced to some extent for health reasons. However, it seems that the experienced coach himself is not inclined to give in to that demand.
In a recent exchange, Nurse asked about Maxey’s lofty minutes on a nightly basis, appearing to indicate that the current status quo will remain the same in the future.
“It’s clear how much we need him. The minutes will be there. They’ll be around 40. He has to carry the load. That’s what we’re asking him to do, and he’s got it.”
Maxey’s sheer individual brilliance so far this season has prompted the coaching staff to give him as many minutes as he can handle, and this response from Nurse only confirms that. The 76ers rely heavily on Maxey to carry them on offense, especially with Joel Embiid still on his usual “in-and-out of the lineup” stretches, and his minutes reflect that.
Still, the argument has to be made that the 76ers are better equipped than before to handle a future reduction in the number of minutes Maxey gets. Therefore, this is not only a matter of necessity, but also of desire. That’s the part where fans would like a little change.
Hopefully the coaching staff can find a better balance between maximizing the team’s chances of winning games and keeping the stars, especially Tyrese Maxey, as fresh as possible. This franchise is incredibly familiar with burnout-related setbacks, so the ball is in their court to mitigate those risks.
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