76ers News: Tyrese Maxey Credits James Harden for Offensive Growth

Since becoming a full-time starter for the Philadelphia 76ers, Tyrese Maxey has shown he's capable of being a key contributor. The young guard has taken things to a new level this season, putting up All-Star level numbers. While discussing the growth in his game, Maxey credited a former teammate for helping him add new weapons to his arsenal.

While the Sixers are enjoying a three-day break between games, Maxey made an appearance on NBA TV to speak with former player Jamal Crawford. During the conversation, the two got into some his go-to moves this season.

Maxey was giving Crawford a demonstration when he cited James Harden as a major influence on him. He stated that their time together helped him learn new moves to create separation from defenders.

"I talked to James Harden a lot when he was on our team. He had a lot of different go-to moves," Maxey said. "My lil James Harden step-back, shout out to James. He perfected that and I kind of stole that from him."

Tyrese Maxey talks about his go-to moves late in games, including a little shout out to his old running mate James Harden. pic.twitter.com/mmMEezsgBP
— arj (@hooparj) January 10, 2024

Even though their time together was brief, Harden appears to have had a lasting impact on Maxey. Playing alongside him last year allowed the young guard to embrace his scoring nature. Now, he has taken everything he learned and put it into action as the Sixers' lead guard.

As we enter the month of January, Maxey continues to have a breakout season for the Sixers. In 34 games, he is putting up averages of 25.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 6.6 APG. Maxey is still a reliable three-point shooter, hitting 37.4% of his threes on over eight attempts a night.

The Harden situation might not have worked out the way the Sixers might have wanted, but it's clear there are still some positives.