76ers vs.Pelicans: Tyrese Maxey’s Playing Status on Monday

Will Tyrese Maxey return to the floor on Monday to face the Pelicans?

The Philadelphia 76ers are back on the court Monday night to ring in the new year. When the team faced its New Year’s Eve opponent, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Sixers were shorthanded. Among the group of players who missed the matchup was the young guard Tyrese Maxey.

It’s been an unusual start to the season for Maxey. After thriving throughout the first stretch of the year, Maxey went down with a sudden injury, which sidelined him for over a month. Recovering from a fractured foot, many anticipated Maxey being back on the floor before Christmas.

However, the rising star didn’t make his return until last Friday night when the Sixers took on the New Orleans Pelicans for the first time this season. Being that Maxey missed the previous 18 games, the Sixers wanted to ease the young star back into the swing of the game.

Therefore, Maxey came off the bench with a minutes restriction attached. Playing no more than 20 minutes, Maxey was understandably rusty through his first set of action in the Big Easy. Then, the following night, the young guard took a game off.

Facing the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road on New Year’s Eve, the Sixers ruled out Maxey ahead of the matchup. Without the young guard on the floor, the Sixers found tons of success as they defeated a young and rebuilding Thunder squad.

By getting Saturday and Sunday off, Maxey is refreshed and set to make his return to the court on Monday night in South Philly when the Sixers face the New Orleans Pelicans for the second and final time this season.

Will Maxey get the nod to start? It’s unclear, but it’s easy to assume he’ll continue coming off the bench for the time being. As De’Anthony Melton’s done a solid job playing alongside James Harden, it makes sense to keep the currently thriving starting five together, as Maxey isn’t one-hundred percent at the moment.

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