Tyrese Maxey looking for the right balance in attack | NBA

Author of a first year in the encouraging league, Tyrese Maxey saw his responsibilities increase significantly, for his second season in the NBA. Without Ben Simmons, who no longer wants to play with the Sixers, the 21-year-old “combo-guard” has thus become the franchise holder in the lead.

A mission far from obvious for a player so young and who was mainly used to playing as a back, before this 2021/22 exercise. And which he continues to do.

Especially on the offensive level, because Tyrese Maxey is still struggling to determine when to activate the scorer mode or the manager mode. But this one at least has the merit of being able to count on Sam Cassell, an illustrious leader of the late 1990s and early 2000s, to progress in this aspect.

“ Sam is always there to make me understand when to shoot and when to pass“, thus tells the 21st choice of the Draft 2020. ” He said to me: ‘You have the most difficult mission in the league, because you play with Joel [Embiid] and Tobias [Harris]. In other words players who need to have the ball but who also need you to score points, to be yourself, who depend on you to be involved. He also told me: ‘It will be difficult, but we have confidence in you, so attack the painting, create for yourself and for others’.“

A new role to assimilate

With 7.2 assists on average for five games (against 1.1 loss of ball), including a record 10 assists Thursday evening which delighted Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey has been gaining momentum for a few days in the organization. He who has a bonus of 16.4 points on average over the season, with solid success percentages of 46% on shots, 41% at 3-pts and 86% on free throws.

Suffice to say that the second year in the league of the former resident of Kentucky is rather convincing and surprising. Especially in the absence of Ben Simmons and when he must live with Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and Seth Curry on the floor.

Players who oblige as much as they allow Tyrese Maxey to understand how to behave well as a pure playmaker and how to behave well for his team.

” Usually you understand it based on the pace of the game “, confides the main interested party, concerning this famous balance to be found between scoring and distribution. ” Sometimes Joel [Embiid] is hot and we make sure to serve it until this strategy no longer works. Sometimes it’s Seth [Curry] who is hot or sometimes it is another player who is. So when a system, a strategy no longer works, you have to call a screen, get into the key and score points or create play for someone else.“

Winning as a watchword

Constantly pushed by his coaches, who especially do not want him to hold back offensively by refusing the shots he likes, Tyrese Maxey seeks to find his balance in attack while thinking of the good of the team.

” In the end, all I want is to win and do whatever it takes for “, he continues. ” If it means scoring points and being more aggressive, then I will. But if it means delivering assists, shooting less and involving my teammates, then I will do that too. Because the ultimate goal is really to win, in my eyes.“

“Winning”, which the Sixers are starting to do again (30 wins – 19 losses), moved up to 3rd place in the East and who are only a game and a half behind the Bulls, leaders of their conference. Thanks, in particular, to a great month of January (11 wins – 3 losses) achieved by the teammates of a Joel Embiid in MVP mode.