NFL
By: Stephen Garner
The Philadelphia 76ers have captivated the thoughts and general interest of the league coming out of the all-star break.
With the new acquisition of James Harden in the fold, they’ve begun the process of ingratiating him into their system.
In that, integral parts of their previous rendition from pre-deadline that remain, mainly Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris, have had both their roles and responsibilities tinkered with on both ends of the floor.
As with anything, change doesn’t always have to have a negative connotation, however, as here, both are enjoying more stress-free (and opportunistic) roles as pieces to the Philadelphia puzzle.
The former, who’s the subject of this piece, has fared extremely well already which bodes extremely well for the future, and there are a few key areas that suggest this is a sustainable dynamic.
Coming into the NBA, he was lauded for his pace of play, ability to get to the rim, and creativity both as a scorer and facilitator.
Fast forward to his second season where he’s not only been thrust into a full-time starting position, but he’s exuding plenty of growth even in those strengths and has added a reliable 3-pointer off the dribble and via catch-and-shoot.
Being slotted next to one of the league’s best all-encompassing offensive talents was sure to make life easier, however, I questioned whether or not it would/could potentially stunt the growth he’d already shown this season.
His usage has predictably dropped from 21.5 to 18.3, which was one of the main reasons I played the devil’s advocate side, but he’s done as much as possible in this role
He’s gracefully transitioned, averaging 24.7 PPG (64.3/64.3/84.6 – eFG% 75%), 2.7 APG, 4.3 RPG, and it’s shown in a few key areas. Maxey I has become a solid 3 and D player.
Transition
My immediate thought when thinking about the 76ers in this rendition, specifically in transition, has been hearing Doc repeatedly echo to his lead ball handlers “let’s go!” after a rebound, imploringly form them to push the pace in changing ends.
Notice how quickly (and the variety of ways in which) Maxey gets into his road runner bag.
Before Harden, their pace was bottom third, ranking 27th at 96.25.
Since acquiring Harden, they’re now top third, tied for 9th at 101.33.
In fastbreak points, they were 13th at 12.6, since the break they’re tied for 2nd at 19.7.
They were also 22nd in points off turnovers (15.1), whereas in this window they’re 4th at 20.3.
All signs that the thought of Harden slowing them down, even more, couldn’t be further from the truth, as not only has their pace as a whole sped up, but it’s even operating as an independent entity from him (and Embiid for that matter).
Thybulle's such a weapon defensively. If he can get Maxey on the same page as him in efforts in that end… & They play transition consistently as they did there.. that's a problem independent of Harden & Embiid
— Stephen PridGeon ☯️🏁 (@StayTrueSDot3) February 27, 2022
Maxey’s averaging two steals a game with Harden next to him which is up from his 0.6 averaging pre-break and, with Thybulle, they’ve established a running dynamic independent of the elder three of their starting lineup in turning games into a track meet for stretches with their end changing.
Catch and Shoot
They’ve often positioned him second-side of any action involving Harden and Embiid, as the read for Embiid is easy to make in being a connector for a pass that came from Harden to get over to Maxey.
Also, it puts any weak side defender, especially the lowmen and the one pass away defenders in a peculiar situation.
Oftentimes they’ll load up on help (smartly) and err on conceding open shots to Maxey, like here in this frame. Just look.
Now they have included him on the strong side of plays to alleviate the keep strong side help defense modest in jumping on either of Harden or Embiid.
In either instance, a solid portion of Maxeys 24.7 PPG is coming via catch and shoot, when he’s showing an ability to shoot off sudden movements like lifting or sinking off-script to create better passing angles and cleaner looks.
Pre Harden, his catch and shoot frequency was just 14.4%, that mark is at 21.4% now (at a 55.6% conversion rate on 3 attempts a game).
Even more, his open to wide-open attempts have also gone up viably from deep. His open looks are occurring 1.9% more frequently and his wide-open looks occur 4.1% more frequently.
The spacing effects of the now two top talents and their individual gravities play a huge role in these successes he’s relished of late.
Defense
Defensively, he’s now taking on the second toughest or second most active perimeter player from opposing teams. He’s not the best fundamentally as he struggles being overzealous at times or even with discipline, however, his activity is a healthy dynamic, especially in tandem with Thybulle’s elite effectiveness both on the ball and in help.
Maxey can be seen harassing opposing ball handlers 90 feet away from the basket quite often, which is a byproduct of the 76ers both scoring a lot and shooting a lot of free throws (allows them to have a set defense quite often, neutralizing and controlling pace), and doing other little things like crowding air space (where others would be an arms-length away).
As he grows through reps being deployed in this manner both at the point of attack and in help, they’ll need for him to stay engaged and develop better discernment in his decision-making on when to gamble versus when to stay solid for another second or two as the shot clock dwindles.
Watch for his defensive effectiveness down the homestretch as it’ll be a key cog in whether they can get to the mountaintop or not.
In all, Maxey is relishing in the “shadow” having an even lower usage rate and spending time on the floor playing off of Harden.
Now the counter could be that this is a by-product in large part due to the opponents they’ve faced (@ Minnesota, @ New York, vs New York) but these instances are ones that are likely to prove fruitful for a sustainable period, regardless of opponent.
As teams have more film on them and test different game plans (or teams with more gameplan versatility get their chances at them), we’ll begin to see what they truly have. In the now, however, he’s absolutely flourished.
What’s known is they indeed have one of the best offenses in the league, and one of the more dynamic third options especially when taking into account how theirs (in Maxey) fits next to their top dogs. He’s seeming garnered a strong grasp of how to both with more with less and maximize opportunities to be effective off of his all-world teammates.
