Tyrese Maxey didn’t just come into the 2025-26 season with something to prove - he came in on a mission.
After shouldering the load for a depleted Sixers squad last season, Maxey returned to Philadelphia not just as a rising star, but as the guy. And a quarter of the way through the season, he’s playing like a man determined to put the league on notice.
Opening night set the tone. Maxey dropped 40 points with ease, flashing the kind of shot-making, pace, and confidence that screams “franchise cornerstone.”
Since then, he’s been nothing short of electric. He’s scored 20 or more in all 20 games so far - that’s consistency you can build a team around.
He’s hit the 30-point mark in more than half of them, including a career-high 54 in an overtime thriller against the Bucks. That’s not just scoring - that’s taking over.
And the numbers back up the eye test. Maxey leads the league in minutes played and shots per game, and he’s third in scoring, trailing only Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - two MVP-level talents in their own right.
He’s also seventh in assists per game at 7.6, averaging 1.5 steals, and flirting with elite efficiency: 46.8% from the field, 38.4% from deep, and 87.7% from the line. That’s high-volume production with near-elite efficiency - a rare combo in today’s NBA.
But here’s the stat that really tells the story: Maxey is responsible for a league-high 27.3% of his team’s total points. That’s more than Luka.
Players that have scored the highest percentage of their team's points this season 🪣
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 3, 2025
27.3% — Tyrese Maxey (Sixers)
26.6% — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
24.7% — Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
23.7% — Luka Doncic (Lakers)
23.6% — Lauri Markkanen (Jazz)
(via @NBAonNBC) pic.twitter.com/QTRPb4Ct6g
More than SGA. More than Jaylen Brown.
That’s carrying an offense - not just leading it.
Context matters, too. Maxey’s had to do a lot of this without key pieces around him.
Joel Embiid has missed time. Paul George has been in and out.
Rookie VJ Edgecombe is still finding his NBA footing. Even with some new faces like Trendon Watford helping to stabilize the rotation, Maxey has often been left to go it alone - and he hasn’t flinched.
When the Sixers are whole, head coach Nick Nurse can open up the playbook and get back to the kind of ball movement and spacing that made his Toronto teams so tough to guard. But when the roster’s thin, it’s been Maxey time - and so far, hero ball has looked pretty heroic.
Is the MVP buzz real yet? Not quite.
But it should be. Maxey’s numbers stack up with the best in the league, and his impact on this Sixers team is undeniable.
If Philly can stay healthy - or make a move or two at the trade deadline - there’s a real chance Maxey could vault into the MVP conversation in a serious way.
He’s not just filling in the gaps anymore. He is the guy. And if he keeps this up, the rest of the league is going to have to start treating him like one.