Following another second-round exit in the playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers highlighted a key area of need after falling short to the Miami Heat. Tobias Harris pointed to his team’s lack of mental toughness in critical situations as a reason why they lost. Joel Embiid echoed a similar sentiment as he claimed his team lacked players who could match PJ Tucker’s toughness.
Tucker joined the 76ers via free agency months later. Although the contract he received from the Sixers created mixed reviews around the league, the acquisition was ultimately praised as the Sixers needed a veteran champion that brings toughness to their team.
Everybody knows the Sixers’ playoff success primarily hinges on the performances of Joel Embiid and James Harden. But is Tucker the 76ers’ X-Factor? Recently, an anonymous NBA scout analyzed the Sixers’ situation from the outside looking in while discussing the Eastern Conference as a whole with Sports Illustrated’s own Howard Beck.
In the eyes of the anonymous, Tucker is not the X-Factor that will move the needle for the Sixers. Instead, it’s Philadelphia’s third-year guard, Tyrese Maxey.
“The Sixers have staked their claim with James Harden and Joel Embiid. They’re to the point now where they become as good or as bad as the players they put around them. ... Their rotation guys—Tobias Harris, Danuel House, Georges Niang—mostly are who they are, but the x-factor is Tyrese Maxey. If he takes the same jump he made last year, he’s a potential All-Star.”
There have been many ongoing discussions regarding Maxey and his potential All-Star campaign this year. While Maxey’s made it clear that becoming a first-time All-Star is not the first thing on his mind for the upcoming season, it’ll be difficult to block out the noise if he continues developing at a rapid pace.
Plus, another point was raised about Maxey. Last year, the second-year guard was thrown into the deep end that is the Sixers’ starting lineup. Considering he was a late first-round pick just one year prior, Maxey was able to swim without having all eyes on him for a good portion of the year.
Following a legitimate Most Improved Player of the Year campaign, the anonymous scout questions how Maxey will look now that he’s a target to competitors. So far, Maxey has given zero indication that his quick development is not a fluke. While preseason basketball isn’t taken seriously by most starters and reserves across the league, Maxey’s offseason dominance has been hard to ignore
If the third-year guard continues to complete the jump he’s taken since entering the NBA, he’s most certainly the Sixers’ X-Factor, as he’s already shown solid flashes in the postseason over the last two years.
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