NBA Trainer Predicts Maxey's Scoring, Embiid's Improvements

Despite being the NBA’s back-to-back scoring champion and the most recently crowned Most Valuable Player, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid knows he still has room for improvement.

Every offseason, Embiid goes into the summer with the same mindset: “I have to get better.”

With the Sixers’ championship pressure resting on Embiid’s shoulders, there isn’t any room for complacency. Year after year, Embiid has improved since debuting in the NBA, putting his offseason work to good use during the regular season.

Since his rookie effort, Embiid has collected six straight All-Star appearances. Three seasons ago, he entered the MVP conversation by becoming a finalist and hasn’t exited the discussion since. Although he went empty-handed in the race for the award in back-to-back years, he was finally crowned the MVP last year.

There’s no argument that Embiid is one of the best overall players in the game, but out of curiosity, one might wonder where he’s looking to improve as he works to defend his MVP title.

Recently, Embiid’s trainer, Drew Hanlen, laid out the details.

“Playmaking [and] getting/making more easy baskets around the rim,” Hanlen posted on X Saturday.

The Sixers’ effort to get Embiid better looks around the rim has ramped up since Doc Rivers took over as the head coach in 2020. While the big man has proven to be a reliable stretch-five over the years, his ability to rack up points from close range has helped him achieve scoring champion status two times in a row.

During the 2021-2022 season, Embiid averaged 31 points per game in 68 matchups. He knocked his field goals at a 50 percent clip. The following year, he outdid himself by averaging 33 points per game and a career-high 55 percent from the field.

Scoring will be key once again, but so will his playmaking. Let’s face it: Embiid can’t do all the scoring on his own in Philadelphia. And having the big man improve his vision and passing will help open up the game for his teammates, relieving him of all of the scoring pressure.

With Embiid spending his summer working closely with Hanlen, it’s a good sign that the fourth-year guard Tyrese Maxey has joined the club. Throughout the offseason, Maxey has remained close with Embiid and should be one of the key beneficiaries of Embiid’s potentially improved playmaking.

Therefore, Hanlen projects a better scoring season for Maxey and would be left disappointed if the bar isn’t raised for the former first-round selection.

“If [Tyrese Maxey] doesn’t average 25 PPG, I’m going to be disappointed,” Hanlen added when making a prediction for the upcoming season.

Embiid: Playmaking & getting/making more easy baskets around the rim

If @TyreseMaxey doesn’t average 25ppg, I’m going to be disappointed https://t.co/ECmOIJ5JxV
— Drew Hanlen (@DrewHanlen) September 16, 2023

Here’s the good news for the Sixers: Maxey has improved his scoring average in each of his first three NBA seasons. While the jump from eight points per game to 18 wasn’t as shocking, considering Maxey averaged 20 more minutes on the floor during his sophomore effort compared to his rookie run, fewer minutes and game action in 2022-2023 didn’t prevent Maxey from upping the production.

Despite dealing with a broken foot in his third season, Maxey averaged a career-high 20 points per game in 60 outings last season. He even came off the bench in 19 games when the Sixers wanted to toy around with their rotation midway through the season.

History says Maxey should average over 20 points in 2023-2024. Will he meet Hanlen’s expectations? Soon enough, the hoops world will see.