A Philadelphia analyst believes Tyrese Maxey needs to take charge for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey attempted just nine shots in Game 1 against the New York Knicks.
Considering Maxey was the 76ers' No. 1 option for the majority of the regular season, this is not a recipe for success. He concluded Game 1 with just 13 points in 27 minutes played as a result of the lack of aggression on the offensive end. Per reporter Adam Aaronson, Game 1 marked just the second time in the 2025-2026 season that Maxey attempted fewer than 10 shots.
Fans and analysts took notice of Maxey's timid performance, including SportsRadio 94WIP's Rhea Hughes, who called out the 25-year-old for his quiet outing.
"Tyrese Maxey has got to stop with these first quarters taking one shot," Hughes said. "...Maxey was trying to run the offense through him [Joel Embiid], he's got to take charge."
Despite Maxey attempting just one shot in the opening frame, it was by far the quarter Philadelphia was most competitive in. The Sixers trailed the Knicks just 33-25 after the first. The second quarter, in which Maxey attempted seven shots, is when the game got blown open, as New York led by more than 20 points heading into halftime.
It's understandable that Maxey is looking to run the offense through Embiid after the way he dominated the Boston Celtics' frontcourt. However, 'The Process' was struggling to get shots to fall in Game 1, which is when Maxey needs to flip the switch and look to take over as the primary offensive option.
He's more than capable of doing so, as he averaged a career-high 28.3 points in the regular season on 46.2% shooting and 36.7% shooting from three-point range. The two-time All-Star is likely to earn an All-NBA Team selection as a result of his stellar regular season play.
Game 2 is on Wednesday, so time will tell if 76ers coach Nick Nurse encouraged Maxey to play with more aggression or if he took it upon himself to make that adjustment.
Join The 76ersRoundtable
Head over to the 76ersRoundtable page and hit the "Join" button under the featured story... it's completely FREE! You'll have the opportunity to engage with other 76ers fans who live and breathe the team, share your thoughts on the organization, and more. If you're asked to sign up or download the Roundtable app... that's free too.
Anthony Pasciolla is the publisher of 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached via email at ampasciolla@gmail.com or followed on X @AnthonyPasci.