76ers' Championship Hopes May Rest on Tyrese Maxey's Shoulders

It’s official; the Philadelphia 76ers will go as far as Tyrese Maxey can take them.

Through the first five games of this season, the leading scorer has been Maxey. It’s almost like he’s just picked up from where he left off a season ago. He’s been on a tear, and it seems no one can stop him. But the thing that makes him so dangerous for opponents is the many ways in which he can score. 

He can take you off the dribble and finish at the rim. Or he could move without the ball and score off a catch and shoot. This is all just a small sample size, but it proved to be helpful in the 76ers' 114-106 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

Early on, it looked like the 76ers were going to have to complete their comeback without Maxey, who was having a hard time finding the bottom of the net. That was until he exploded for 17 points in the fourth quarter and showed why he’s the team's leading scorer. Maxey even iced the game when he nailed a three-pointer that put the game out of reach for the Pacers. If it weren't for Maxey and his offensive flurry, there may not have been any smiling faces in Indiana.

Many may wonder how it could be that Maxey is still able to get his same numbers with all the new additions to the team, and the answer is simple: consistency.  Each year Maxey has improved his game, including his scoring total. After averaging 28 points per game for Maxey, it was hard to see how he could top that, and it seems he’s improved his field goal percentage as an answer. Last season he shot 46 percent and now he’s already reached that mark. It may not seem like a difference, but it’s huge considering he now plays alongside LeBron James and Jaylen Brown.

But for this team, they need Maxey to continue to be who he is, or they may not stand a chance of winning anything. He is the grease that puts the wheels in motion. When he’s off the floor, the offensive production drops. Last season it was down by seven points, and this season it could be the same. The reason could be how the rest of the team’s offensive game works for them, or the lack of scoring from the bench makes it harder for the rest of the unit.

Either way, this team has to hope Maxey can continue to play at this high level if they want any hope of winning a championship.