Tyrese

Maxey

Held in check during the first half of Monday’s game, Maxey kicked things up a few notches after halftime. With Joel Embiid ejected late in the second quarter and Paul George struggling, the 76ers needed an elite Maxey performance, and that’s what they got. He scored 21 points in the second half, including a run late in the fourth in which he tallied eight to put the Spurs away. Maxey will look to build on this performance when the 76ers visit Boston on Christmas Day.

Maxey was initially listed as probable, but Nick Nurse said that all three “main guys” will be available to play. Barring Nurse valuing his players completely differently from fantasy managers, that should mean that Maxey is good to go despite the illness.

It wasn’t much of a game as the 76ers were no match for the Cavaliers without Joel Embiid in the lineup. Maxey ended up hoisting 22 shots. He wasn’t efficient, but managed to pour in 27 points as well as knock down five 3-pointers. He just had three assists, but fantasy managers will take that scoring production from the 24-year-old point guard. Given the 126-99 final score, it could’ve been much worse.

Maxey has scored 22 points or more in four straight games, his longest streak since the season’s first six games. The efficiency hasn’t been great this season, but the 76ers guard is shooting nearly 46% from the field over the past two weeks. Saturday’s matchup with the Cavaliers will be more difficult, especially with Joel Embiid (sinus fracture) already ruled out.

Maxey scored Philadelphia’s final eight points from the foul line on Monday, with that personal run netting the guard his second 40-point game of the season. With Joel Embiid (sinus fracture) sidelined for at least one week, Maxey and Paul George will shoulder most of the scoring load for the 76ers in Week 8. That’s good news for fantasy managers who have either of those perimeter stars rostered, especially with the 76ers facing Charlotte again on Friday.

Joel Embiid was active, but only played 17 minutes before leaving with yet another injury. It wasn’t a huge game for Maxey in Embiid’s absence, though he returned to being the 76ers’ No. 1 offensive option, leading the team in points and shot attempts. He’s produced as a third-round player in fantasy this year, mostly with Embiid and Paul George unavailable.

Not only did Maxey record a triple-double on Sunday, he also established a new career-high of 14 assists. The 76ers point guard hasn’t shot the ball as well as in seasons past thus far, but he’s still been a 3rd-round player in 8- and 9-cat formats. That production level aligns with his Yahoo ADP (26), and that’s with Paul George and Joel Embiid having inconsistent availability due to injury. Philadelphia hosts Indiana on Friday in its final game of Week 7 (Yahoo leagues).

Maxey has gotten off to a brutal start to December from beyond the arc. He’s 2-of-21 from three, and while turnovers have not been an issue, Maxey has not been an efficient shooter this season. The 76ers point guard is shooting 40.3% from the field, shooting nearly five percentage points worse than he did in 2023-24. While Paul George and Joel Embiid’s availability issues haven’t helped, Maxey must improve.

Maxey had a rough night from beyond the arc, missing all seven attempts. Add in four turnovers, the second time in four games he’s reached that number, and this was a disappointing performance from Maxey. The inconsistent availability of Paul George and Joel Embiid doesn’t help, but the 76ers (and fantasy managers) need Maxey to play better regardless of who’s on the court with him.

The 76ers - particularly the star duo of Embiid and Podcast P - can’t stay healthy this season, and a number of key players will be out against the Magic. Philly started Kelly Oubre, Tyrese Maxey, KJ Martin, Guerschon Yabusele and George on Monday. He could be replaced by rookie Jared McCain alongside the four aforementioned starters.