Tyrese Maxey has proven he is a valuable player for the Philadelphia 76ers once he started playing all-out. This season, the youthful guard has elevated his game and produced All-Star caliber performances. When talking about how his game has improved, Maxey gave credit to a previous teammate for assisting him in expanding his toolkit.
In between the Sixers’ three-day vacation, Maxey appeared on NBA TV to have a conversation with former star Jamal Crawford. They talked about some of his favorite moves from this season.
Maxey mentioned James Harden as a significant impact on him while he was demonstrating for Crawford. He claimed that their time spent together taught him new techniques for gaining space from opponents.
“During James Harden’s time on our squad, I spoke with him frequently. He was really versatile in his go-to moves,” Maxey remarked. “Step back, my little James Harden, and call out to James. That was something he polished, and I kind of took it from him.”
Despite their short time together, Harden seems to have had a lasting impression on Maxey. Last year, the young guard was able to embrace his scoring ability since he was playing beside him. As the starting guard for the Sixers, he has now applied what he has learned.
Maxey continues to have a tremendous season with the Sixers as we approach January. He is averaging 25.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 6.6 APG in 34 games. Maxey continues to be a consistent three-point shooter, making 37.4% of his shots on more than eight attempts every evening.
Even if the Harden situation may not have gone as planned for the Sixers, there are undoubtedly still some advantages.