The Philadelphia 76ers have the best guard in the Eastern Conference in Tyrese Maxey. That is now crystal clear and is not up for discussion.
The 76ers earned an impressive victory against the Milwaukee Bucks on the road on the second night of a back-to-back, all thanks to Maxey exploding for 54 points and nine assists. The All-Star guard set a new career points record in one game, serving as a stark reminder to the rest of the league that he should be hailed as the best guard in the East.
After a relatively poor year last season, Maxey has made the long-awaited superstar leap. He is the second top scorer in the league, while also ranking in the top ten in assists per game, addressing one of the major issues in his game as a floor general.
Sure, the Bucks were missing their best player (and really the only player currently better than Maxey in their most recent East) in Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the 76ers had to play this one without Joel Embiid and with Paul George on a strict minutes restriction. Still, as he has done all season, Maxey has stepped up to the plate and then some.
Tyrese Maxey has become the best of the best in the East
Maxey was clearly negatively affected last season with both of his teammates missing the majority of games due to their respective injuries. After a season in which he won the Most Improved Player award, his efficiency took a hit and his decision-making late in games was criticized by many.
However, with this leap he has made, he has cleared all those doubts about his viability as a franchise player. The 76ers are now slowly moving on from Embiid as their No. 1 option, and Maxey is definitely more than ready to take over that mantle in the future.
By now, Maxey should be a no-brainer selection not only for the All-Star team, but more importantly, on the All-NBA team. You could even argue that he should be at the top of the MVP discussions, and that’s certainly where he’s headed as long as the 76ers continue to find ways to get wins.
Tyrese Maxey has already eclipsed his contemporaries at the point guard position. In fact, only the reigning MVP and the man in Los Angeles have a strong case against him at this point. The 76ers can’t take this for granted.
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