Dire stat proves how lost the 76ers offense is without Joel Embiid or Paul George

As soon as the Sixers got wind that Joel Embiid and Paul George would both be out to start the season due to injury, they immediately leaned on Tyrese Maxey. 

But have they leaned on Maxey too much early in the season? So far, he’s played a total of 128 minutes over a span of three games. That's an absurd total but it recently worked in their favor. The Sixers landed their first win of the season on Sunday in a 118-114 overtime battle against the Indiana Pacers, where Maxey competed for 48 minutes.

Maxey scored 28 points in regulation in just 22 minutes and scored 10 of the 13 points the Sixers scored in overtime. He put together his first star-level performance of the season. Maxey finished the game with 45 points, four rebounds, four assists, one steal, and two blocks.

Maxey is the NBA's reigning Most Improved Player Award winner, entering his fifth NBA season. Despite his recent shooting slump, The 23-year-old guard is currently averaging 31.3 points and playing 42.7 minutes a game as the No.1 option. 

Luckily, this isn’t the first time Maxey had to be without Embiid. Maxey had to step in as a primary option after Embiid had a meniscus injury late in the 2023–24 regular season, which kept him out of action for two months. The Sixers then went 22-11 under the direction of Maxey.

Now 1-2 on the season, how much longer can Sixers fans rely on the heavy load being placed on Maxey?

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Sixers look ahead to the return of Joel Embiid and Paul George

Following the recent investigation placed on the Sixers for the player participation policy concerning Embiid, there is still no time frame for when he will return. 

The Sixers stated that both Embiid and George would miss the first week of action and now that Maxey has done his part, hopefully, he will receive some help soon. The Sixers will have two days off before hosting the winless Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.

The Pistons pose yet another offensive threat to the Sixers, who are averaging 109.3 points per game at the moment.

As of now, Embidd and George are listed as game-time decisions. In order to keep Maxey from playing another 40+ minute game and limiting more wear and tear, another member of this new big three will have to be available.