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Analyst Makes Bold Claim on Philadelphia 76ers’ Real Franchise Player After Game 5

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics
By Christian Alamodin | Last updated 5/1/24

The current situation the Philadelphia 76ers find themselves in is a difficult one. They managed to climb out of the 3-1 ditch they found themselves in with a fantastic Game 5. However, their hopes of making the second round of the playoffs are still slim with the New York Knicks still clicking on all cylinders.

The Sixers are fortunate they have two outstanding players who can perform well under the brightest of lights. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey are single-handedly bringing the team back to the series, and the series can reach Game 7 if both stars play well enough.

The duo is playing so well that it could be hard to properly identify which among them is the franchise cornerstone. One analyst thinks that this is not something one should think about if they watched their most recent game with discerning eyes.

Bobby Marks believes Tyrese Maxey has overtaken Joel Embiid as the Philadelphia 76ers’ franchise piece

Bobby Marks is a trusted name in the NBA world, and people usually listen when he shares his ideas about the NBA.

After the Sixers’ most recent performance, he unleashed a hot take that would start arguments among Sixers fans and spark an interesting conversation among the rest of the league.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks says Tyrese Maxey is the face of the Philadelphia 76ers

“I think he’s the face of the franchise. I don’t think it’s Joel Embiid. I think Maxey is more reliable.”

(Via @UnSportsESPN) pic.twitter.com/avUHznRhrG

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 1, 2024

It’s easy to see why Marks believes Maxey is now the team’s franchise player. During this do-or-die game, the Kentucky product notched an incredible 46 points with his five rebounds and nine assists. More importantly, the fact that he also held the ball during the most important possessions of the team’s season settles the argument for him.

However, it’s also a bad idea to discount Embiid’s contribution to the win. The Cameroon-born big man also had a fantastic performance, finishing the game with 19 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, a steal, and four blocks. Without his all-around contributions, the entire Philly roster would be going on vacation earlier than they would have hoped.

While Marks started an argument on who is actually number 1 in the Sixers roster, both the roster and the fans are just glad that they have outstanding contributors who can do it all when it matters the most. They’ll be hoping for more of the same come Game 6.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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