Tyrese Maxey doesn’t need the headlines to know where he stands in Philadelphia. Through two games, the 76ers have made it plain anyway.
With Joel Embiid, LeBron James and Jaylen Brown all in the mix, Nick Nurse had every chance to tilt the offense toward one of the bigger names. Instead, the early returns show the 76ers are still built around Maxey, and that’s exactly how it should be.
Maxey has been the most visible player on the floor for Philadelphia from the jump. In the season opener, a 106-100 win over the New York Knicks, he scored a game-high 28 points, nine more than any teammate, and took 19 shots, four more than the next closest Sixer. Two nights later, he pushed the 76ers through a 29-point comeback in a 114-106 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, finishing with a game-high 32 points and a team-high 23 attempts.
He’s not just hunting shots, either. Maxey tied for the team lead with six assists against Cleveland, and his five assists against New York ranked third on the team, only two behind LeBron James’ seven. Through two games, he also leads the 76ers in usage rate at 26.3.
That’s the clearest proof that Nurse hasn’t wandered away from the truth: Maxey is still the engine here.
There were reasons to wonder whether that would change. Maxey can play on or off the ball, which makes him an obvious fit alongside other stars.
But being capable of taking a backseat and actually doing it are two different things, and Philadelphia has no real incentive to force that shift. Maxey is still only 25, and he just came off a season in which he averaged 28.3 points and 6.6 assists per game while shooting .462/.367/.892.
The rest of the roster gives Nurse plenty to work with, and the 76ers have enough talent that all four stars should keep getting touches and chances. Still, the early offense has run through Maxey, and the numbers back it up.
Embiid is a dominant force, but he’s played 59 games since the start of the 2024-25 season. James is an all-time great, but he’ll turn 42 in roughly two months.
Brown has his own case for a No. 1 role, but he’s also stepping into a group that has already spent years playing through Maxey.
For now, Philadelphia is not pretending otherwise. Maxey is the one setting the pace, setting the tone and carrying the load when the 76ers need a bucket.
In Other News...
Sixers Get A Huge Chance Against A Very Different Bucks Team
Milwaukee looks like a very different opponent than the one Philadelphia has spent years measuring itself against. After trading Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to Miami and folding four former Heat players into the rotation, the Bucks are still figuring out who they are, even as those newcomers have provided more than half of the teams scoring through the first two games.
For the 76ers, that creates a matchup with a little less familiarity but plenty of opportunity. Philadelphia has leaned on strong second halves and a clear edge in paint scoring in recent games, while Milwaukee has been vulnerable on the defensive end, giving the Sixers a chance to test whether their late-game push can travel against a roster still trying to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
LeBron's Early 76ers Absence Creates A Bigger Question For Philly
LeBron James will not be on the floor for the 76ers, with the decision tied to a planned workload management call made by the medical staff, front office and his camp. Nick Nurse made clear the absence is not injury-related, which shifts the focus away from health concerns and toward how Philadelphia adjusts against a short-handed opponent in a game that still carries plenty of interest.
For Philly, the bigger issue is less about who is out and more about who has to absorb the extra responsibility. Nurse said other players are expected to step up in James's absence, with Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown among the names who could be asked to carry more of the load, while Tacko Fall, Dominick Barlow and Ariel Hukporti are also unavailable and Dean Wade was questionable before being cleared to play. [Read more 🡒]
VJ Edgecombe Is Already Feeling Philadelphias New Reality
VJ Edgecombes first week in Philadelphia has offered a quick reminder of how different life looks when a teams expectations change overnight. Through the first two games, his scoring and shot volume have dipped from what he was asked to carry as a rookie, a natural byproduct of sharing the floor with new focal points like LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. For a young player still carving out his place, that can be a tricky adjustment, but it also says plenty about where the 76ers believe they are headed.
Edgecombe has already shown he can still help in ways that go beyond points, including during the comeback win over the Cavaliers when his defense and activity mattered. Philadelphia is built for a championship push this season, which means roles will keep shifting and young players will have to learn fast how to make an impact without the ball in their hands as much. Edgecombes next step is finding that balance, and the early signs suggest he knows what kind of reality he is walking into. [Read more 🡒]