Tyrese Maxey Reveals Factor That Will Expedite Sixers' Success

This year’s starting five for the Philadelphia 76ers is quite similar to last season’s. With four players returning, there won’t be much change outside of the presence of the veteran forward, PJ Tucker.

The fact that the Sixers aren’t making a significant change is positive, but constantly making changes on the go last year made it hard for the starting five to gain a rhythm.

Players were in and out of the lineup throughout the year as injuries, and COVID-related setbacks affected the team. By the time February approached, the Sixers had struck a blockbuster deal, swapping out Seth Curry for James Harden in the starting lineup.

By the time Harden took the floor, he had a little over 20 games to get acquainted before the playoffs approached. When the Sixers dropped Game 6 against the Miami Heat in the second round of the playoffs, members of the starting lineup acknowledged they didn’t have enough time to master their on-court chemistry.

But Harden, Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, and Tyrese Maxey were hopeful that a full offseason together could help the starters improve in that department.

On Wednesday night, the Sixers’ projected starting five debuted for the first time against the Cleveland Cavaliers. While they looked rusty at the start, it’s clear this year’s starting five has the potential to be one of the most dangerous starting lineups in the NBA.

Following Wednesday’s Sixers victory over the Cavs, Tyrese Maxey discussed the current adjustment period the lineup is going through as they implement a new member in Tucker. While the young guard knows it will take time for the Sixers to master their chemistry, he’s confident that the starters already have a strong connection, which should go a long way this year.

“We communicate well off the court,” said Maxey. “You know, we have a good group of guys that really like each other and that really like being around each other. So, that’s really going to transfer onto the court. It’s really been big with PJ, James, and the big fella communication-wise, like, we’re able to have those hard conversations now and be able to get on each other during the game because of the relationships we built off the court. So, that’s going to take some time to build to become the team we want to be, but I think that expedites the process because of the communication and the relationship that we built.”

Every team goes through growing pains at some point during the 82-game season, and the Sixers will inevitably be a part of that. However, great teams get through the hard times by working out the kinks without getting frustrated or allowing the hardships to derail the progress that was built as the season goes on.

The good news for the Sixers is that the third-year guard Tyrese Maxey is confident that Philly has the right group of leaders to steer the ship. And the fact that they all have a good relationship on and off the court should be key to their success this upcoming season.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.