Tyrese Maxey Named Eastern Conference Player of the Week

After a red-hot start to his season, Philadelphia 76ers star guard Tyrese Maxey has been named the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Averaging 33.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 9.8 APG over this stretch, Maxey has put himself into early MVP conversations. 

The Sixers are unexpectedly sitting atop the Eastern Conference, and while it's not only because of Maxey, he has played an enormous role in the team's early success. With Joel Embiid playing with a minutes restriction, it's limited his impact on the team through these first couple of weeks. 

Additionally, he has already missed two games due to load management which is smart, but it's forced players like Maxey to step up in his absence. Fortunately for Philadelphia, he has stepped up beautifully and has been one of the best players in the entire NBA to start the season. 

This play has even led some to question whether the Sixers are even Embiid's team anymore, or if Maxey has taken over as the leader of the team. While it may be too early to answer this question fully, it's clear that until Embiid is fully healthy and off his minutes restriction, Maxey has the keys to the offense. 

Starting the season 5-1, this has worked so far the Sixers as they have continued to show a great effort despite missing some of their key players. Both Paul George and Jared McCain have yet to play a game this season, which is another reason why Maxey has been forced to put up these numbers. 

Through five games, Maxey has averaged a league-leading 42.5 minutes per game, giving him the opportunity to average these numbers. Playing over 42 minutes every game is certainly not sustainable, but he's played this much because of McCain's absence. 

Once McCain returns, he'll get much more time to rest on the bench. Though his numbers may take a hit, it'll be much better for his health in the long run if he can rest as much as possible. Philly has been extra cautious with Embiid so far, and though it's early that caution has appeared to be making a positive difference. 

With Maxey playing to this level and the rest of the team beginning to get fully healthy, the Sixers could be in for an incredible bounce-back season.