Tyrese Maxey Nominated for Player of the Week Next to Giannis
The Philadelphia 76ers haven't been playing their best basketball lately, but none of that has to do with their starting point guard situation.
While many believed the Sixers would take a significant hit as their three-time All-Star point guard Ben Simmons remains away from the team, the second-year guard Tyrese Maxey shot down that narrative this year.
And lately, Maxey has been playing some incredible basketball despite his team struggling to come away with wins during their tough stretch.
The Sixers have won just one of their last seven games before Monday's game. Last week, the Sixers fell short to the Utah Jazz and the Portland Trail Blazers but defeated the Denver Nuggets. During that three-game stretch, Maxey was a bright spot as he averaged 22 points, five assists, and four rebounds while shooting 54-percent from the field and 46-percent from beyond the arc.
In addition to his offensive production, Maxey has shown improvement on the defensive side of the ball and has taken care of the ball as he's committed less than one turnover per game in the 99 minutes he played last week.
Although his small stretch wasn't enough to earn an Eastern Conference Player of the Week win -- Maxey was considered a nominee alongside some other big names. According to the NBA, Charlotte's LaMelo Ball, Miami's Jimmy Butler, Atlanta's Clint Capela, Chicago's DeMar DeRozan, Cleveland's Darius Garland, Brooklyn's James Harden, Boston's Jayson Tatum, and Maxey were all considered.
However, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo won the weekly award as he averaged 33 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists over a successful 3-0 stretch last week. Although Tyrese Maxey likely won't celebrate a weekly award mention, the young guard continues to prove to the Sixers that he's working to become the long-term answer at the point guard position.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
