3 Tyrese Maxey bold predictions for 76ers' 2024-25 NBA season

10/21/2024 11:51 AM

Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey has officially made a habit of exceeding everyone’s expectations. Nick Nurse best explained how hard it is to project someone so young, dedicated and talented at media day. "I just don't want to put any thoughts of any ceilings on this guy," the head coach said. "I think he’s so good."

No longer just a young guy trying to make a name for himself, Maxey is an unmovable keystone in the franchise. His excellence on the court and vibrancy off of it have kept the 76ers from spiraling at various points. He has given Philadelphia more than it could ever have asked or expected from a 21st-overall draft pick — and he’s still not done amazing the city and the franchise yet. The 76ers will lean on him a lot throughout the entirety of the season.

Coming in at 19th on ESPN’s top 100 player rankings shows how big the expectations are for Maxey. Here are three bold predictions for the soon-to-be-24-year-old guard’s 2024-25 season.

1. Tyrese Maxey records at least 3 triple-doubles

Sooner or later, Maxey will reach double-figures in points, rebounds, and assists in the same game. After several close calls last year, he should be able to notch several this season.

Maxey notched nine double-doubles last season (eight with points and assists and another with points and rebounds) and came within three combined points and assists from a triple-double on three separate occasions. He was a single rebound shy of his first triple-double in a win over the Miami Heat in early April.

Points and assists won't be a problem for Maxey. Rebounds are the ones that will be hardest to come by, as his style of play does not make him a magnet for boards. That’s still the most likely stat he will secure for his triple-doubles, as he hasn't even reached five steals or blocks in an NBA game yet. After setting a career-high in rebounds per game last season with 3.7, he could bump his numbers up again this year.

Even though Russell Westbrook collecting triple-doubles in bulk has pacified the excitement around them, it’s a notable feat for a small guard like Maxey. Eventually, the stars will align for him and he’ll get his first trip-dub.

2. Maxey posts the most three-pointers made in a game of any player this season

Maxey is one of the best shooters in basketball, full stop. He should have an easier time letting threes fly now that his on-ball responsibilities will normalize thanks to Paul George and (hopefully) Joel Embiid not missing a major chunk of the season. If Nurse can get Philly playing fast, that’ll make it easier to get more shots up, giving Maxey a chance to have the most prolific three-point performance of anyone in the 2024-25 season.

Last season, Keegan Murray’s 12-triple performance marked the league-high for threes in a single game. In the prior season, it was Damian Lillard at 13. Before that, Malik Beasley, Bojan Bogdanovic and Robert Covington tied for the game-high with 11. This is the range that the 76ers star will have to break into. He hasn't made it there yet but he's not very far off.

Maxey’s career-high for threes in a game entering this season is nine and he has reached eight in a game before, too. All he really needs is one night when everything is clicking, for him to put his name atop all the others. Since he plays a lot of minutes and isn't worryingly injury-prone, he should have plenty of chances.

Because of his individual greatness and the friendly team context he finds himself in, Maxey has the chance to sit atop the leaderboard for threes in a game for the 2024-25 season.

3. Maxey ranks top 10 in points per game and top 15 in assists per game

Embiid and the addition of George make Maxey’s life much easier. But because of their injury concerns, they’ll also miss plenty of games. After taking big statistical leaps last season, Maxey is poised to make even more, potentially achieving a feat that only five players reached last season.

Last season, among qualified leaders, Maxey averaged 25.9 points per game (which tied for 11th) and 6.2 assists per game (which tied for 18th). He’s not too far away but would still have to continue substantially growing in each stat.

What makes this feat more difficult for Maxey specifically is that he was playing more minutes than most of the others near the top of the league leaderboards. If his minutes sink back down to a more typical amount, the improvements he has to make will be greater. Of course, because of the aforementioned resting (or potentially injury) that his older co-stars may face, he may still rank highly on the leaderboard for minutes per game.

Maxey is constantly working on his game, fine-tuning it in spots and expanding it in others. He learned last season how tough it is to be the lead option for a long stretch of time, finding some moments of triumph and greatness — namely his pair of 50-point games — but also couldn't prevent the Sixers from sliding in the standings. For someone like Maxey, such results are unacceptable. He’s pushing himself to be even better, even by just one percent every day.

The 76ers will encourage Maxey to take the reins whenever his veteran stars sit out — and even perhaps when they do play. He has the freshest legs and the authority to take command of the ball, making it possible for him to submit a remarkable statistical season.

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