Philadelphia 76ers: Tyrese Maxey makes one final push for playoff minutes

And just like that, it’s over.

After months of anticipation, a late start, and an abbreviated schedule, the 2020-21 NBA regular season is officially in the books, and the Philadelphia 76ers reign supreme as the top overall seed in the Eastern Conference.

Who’d have ever thought back when the Sixers were winning a dozen or so games a year we’d ever return to success such as this? Certainly not the national media, who has seemingly found a new pastime in relitigating “The Process” any chance they get.

Eh, you know what they say, actions speak louder than words, and I think the City of Brotherly Love cares a little more about having the playoffs run through Philly than any external criticism by outside observers.

What did Jason Kelce use to say? Oh yeah, “no one likes us; we don’t care.”

But do you know who does care? Tyrese Maxey, as the soon-to-be ex-rookie put on a show for the fans in the Philadelphia 76ers’ regular season finale, and boy howdy was it a sight to see.

Tyrese Maxey is going to be a player for years to come, Philadelphia 76ers fans.

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After officially locking up the 1 Seed with their previous win over the Orlando Magic in Game 71, the Philadelphia 76ers didn’t have a lot to play for in their regular season finale.

Sure, it’s always nice to secure the W on your home court, especially with a few thousand true (red, white, and) blue Sixers fans in attendance, but with all five of the team’s starters plus Matisse Thybulle given the night off to rest up for the playoffs, the Sixers weren’t exactly looking to enter a South Philly street fight to secure win 49.

What the fans in attendance and watching at home got, however, was anything but a sleepwalking dress rehearsal. No, in the surprise of the night, fans were instead treated to a good old fashion

pitcher’s

point guard’s duel between a pair of rookies looking to close out their debut NBA seasons with a bang.

Earning only his eighth start of the season, Tyrese Maxey came onto the court as part of a four guards plus Dwight Howard starting lineup and went on to log 35 of the best minutes you’ll see this regular season – amassing 30 points, six assists, and seven rebounds while draining 11 if his 15 shots from the field and 3-4 attempts from beyond the arc.

Maxey commanded the court like a grizzled vet. He read the defense with ease, drove to the net with conviction, and remained engaged around the hoop despite being the shortest player on the court for large stretches of the contest. Heck, even his 3 point shot, arguably the main reason he dropped out of the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery, looked finely tuned for playoff action, which is an incredible development this late in the season.

If Doc Rivers wants to ride the hot hand heading into the postseason, there isn’t one hotter than Maxey.

While the 76ers are not bereft of backcourt talent heading into the playoffs, Maxey presents a uniquely fast offensive upside, the likes of which only Ben Simmons can offer. When given a chance to run the show as the team’s lead guard, Maxey pushes the pace like few others in recent Sixers memory and keeps the offense flowing in a pass-happy, free-flowing offensive attack.

In a series against a bigger team built to win with a slower, methodical style of play, presenting a Maxey-centric look could be just what the Doc ordered to break things open when Joel Embiid is off the court. The same, really, could be said against another super-fast team who likes to win track meets. Give Maxey a handful of minutes here and there to kick it into overdrive, and the starting lineup could find themselves facing off against a winded foe when the fourth quarter comes along.

Will Maxey play in every game against every opponent regardless of the situation? Probably not, but as a change of pace option, you’d better believe Rivers will keep Maxey’s presence at the front of his mind if things start to go sour or a player like Thybulle, Shake Milton, or George Hill goes down with an injury.

Sidebar: Between you and me, Maxey has been far more impressive than George Hill over the past few weeks, so I wouldn’t be too married to what Rivers’ rotation looks like early on. If Hill starts dropping four-point performances on the regular, a switch to Maxey shouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility.

No matter how you slice it, the Philadelphia 76ers’ 72nd game of the season was an unbridled success. They secured the win, landed their fans free frostys, and most importantly of all, left the regular season without any major injuries. If anything, Tyrese Maxey’s 30 point performance was just a cherry on top of an otherwise uber-successful ordeal.

Next. Matisse Thybulle is about to cement a unicorn season. dark

And to think, the Philadelphia 76ers offered both Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle to the Toronto Raptors in a trade for Kyle Lowry, and Masi Ujiri said no. Something tells me that decision may become regrettable before too long.