The James Harden trade story put the Philadelphia 76ers in a difficult position, but they were confident in their chances of remaining competitive despite Beard’s forced departure, thanks in large part to their faith in fourth-year guard Tyrese Maxey. Prior to this season, Maxey has shown glimpses of All-Star-level consistency, but now he has elevated his game to a whole new level, continuing his remarkable performance with a 33-point, 10-assist outing in the Sixers’ 121-111 triumph over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.

Maxey, on the other hand, didn’t exactly enter the league with the best of pedigrees; he may have come from Kentucky, a pipeline that consistently produces quality guards, but he fell during the 2020 NBA Draft, allowing the Sixers to select him at 21, and then he played just 15.3 minutes per night in his rookie season.

Nonetheless, Joel Embiid saw Tyrese Maxey as one of the Sixers’ most important players from the start, and this belief from the reigning MVP was critical in bringing out the best in the 23-year-old guard.

“I believe Joel was one of the first people in this organization to believe in me when I was a rookie.” “He said early on that he thought I could be special,” Maxey said in his postgame interview, which was broadcast on the Sixers’ official Twitter (X) account.

“Having that trust and that confidence from the MVP of the league, the best player in the world, I can just go out there and be myself.”

It is crucial to have someone in your corner during difficult times, and having Joel Embiid back him up is now paying off handsomely for the Sixers.

Having Maxey be capable of accepting a heavier offensive responsibility in the aftermath of James Harden’s departure is a big reason why the Sixers don’t feel compelled to sign a third star. Philadelphia clearly believes Maxey is capable of being the second option on a legitimate contending club, and at only 23 years old, he still has a lot of space to grow.