Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) controls the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

How Drew Hanlen helped Tyrese Maxey become 76ers' next star

By Adam Taylor | Last updated Feb 9, 2025 5:42 PM ET

Tyrese Maxey is carrying the Philadelphia 76ers. Joel Embiid has rarely been on the court this season. Paul George is yet to showcase the All-Star ability that convinced Daryl Morey to swoop for him during the offseason.

However, Maxey has been a steady and reliable force for head coach Nick Nurse. The fifth-year guard is producing a career-high 27.8 points per game, along with 6.2 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals. Maxey is clearly the Sixers star of the future.

Still, it's worth remembering that Maxey struggled with shooting the ball to begin the season. Over his first 10 games, he converted at a 29.5% rate from beyond the perimeter. During a recent interview with Yardbarker on the Celtics Chronicle YouTube channel, NBA skills trainer Drew Hanlen, who is currently promoting his new book, revealed how he and Maxey addressed his shooting struggles.

"Tyrese Maxey started off the season struggling from the three-point line, and it was all because of his balance," Hanlen said. "He was twisting and turning and so we had to reestablish his base. People are like, 'What shot changes did you make?' I'm like, 'We didn't change his shot necessarily. We just rebuilt his shot to be back to where we know it's, you know, it works. That's the big thing.'"

Whatever changes Haneln and Maxey implemented have clearly worked. The one-time All-Star's slow start has impacted his season average from deep. Nevertheless, he's shooting 38.4% from deep over his last 10 games while letting it fly at a high volume of 9.9 three-point attempts per night.

Maxey missed out on an All-Star selection this season. However, he could still sneak into the event if players drop out with injuries. Nevertheless, Sixers fans will undoubtedly view him as the future of their franchise. If he's able to continue developing his game, and course-correcting issues on the fly, he will be an unstoppable force in the Eastern Conference.

Sooner or later, the Sixers will need to hit the reset button. When they do, Maxey will be the star they build around, and his time to opportunity to lead the team will be well deserved.

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

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