Tyrese Maxey urged to be more aggressive by Sixers HC Doc Rivers

Tyrese Maxey's rapid development was among the bigger storylines last season for the Philadelphia 76ers. After playing sparingly as a rookie, the young guard rose to the occasion in a big way when head coach Doc Rivers found himself with a hole in his starting lineup. 

At 21, Maxey posted averages of 17.5 points per game and 4.3 assists per game and ranked among the league leaders in three-point percentage (42.7). It's clear Maxey -- the 21st overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft -- has star potential. 

While Maxey has shown the ability to be a top guy in an offense, he sometimes struggles with assertiveness. Playing alongside two elite-level talents in Joel Embiid and James Harden, he has developed a habit of deferring to the stars. 

The Sixers paired the two All-Stars together to lead the team to a title, but they still need the players around them to be aggressive. Following Maxey's 44-point barrage against the Toronto Raptors last week, Rivers opened up on how he is trying to change the third-year guard's mindset. 

“I thought tonight it was important because it was James,” Rivers said Friday of Harden deferring. “He just kept giving it to him. And I kept telling Tyrese, ‘Isos are good for you, too.’”

The Sixers want to see more of Maxey asserting himself on offense. 

Between his ability to get past any defender with his quickness and evolution into a knockdown three-point shooter, he has become a tough player to slow. And when he gets going, the Sixers become an even harder team to guard. 

Finding his footing alongside two star talents will take some time, but Maxey has proven he can adjust to any situation. 

When he gets comfortable picking his spots with Embiid and Harden on the floor, Philly's big three is going to be a nightmare to handle for opponents.