James Harden is gone, Sixers fans rejoice, and once again, they have Tyrese Maxey to thank

There is not an organization in the NBA that has been plagued with more internal turmoil than the Philadelphia 76ers over the past six years. If each team was forced to document their seasons as if they were a reality TV show, the Sixers would easily have the most content. They’ve had a general manager fired because he vociferously defended his record via social media burner accounts, to the point of leaking private medical information. 

They traded up to draft one of the greatest prospects of all time in Markelle Fultz, only for him to forget how to shoot. They had one superstar point guard refuse to play for the organization to force a trade in Ben Simmons, and now another in James Harden, the man they traded Simmons for. 

There were other hilarious and heartbreaking moments along the way, such as when they dropped the confetti in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals after Marco Belinelli hit a buzzer-beater to … force overtime, Kawhi Leonard’s shot that bounced four times before sending them home, and, well, you get the idea. Former head coach Doc Rivers said the Sixers needed to experience “emotional terrorism” last season to prevail in the playoffs as if the organization and its fans had been doing anything else for the past six years. 

Through most of this, the Sixers great hope was Joel Embiid. Drafted by Sam Hinkie and forced to sit out multiple seasons, the former Kansas Jayhawk was who fans clung to during the dark times. No matter what happened, they always had Embiid, and that would always give them a shot to accomplish anything in this league. 

But after five second-round exits in the past six seasons, bookended by defeats to archrivals the Boston Celtics, it’s hard for fans to keep believing. They always will, to a degree, that’s a part of being a fan. If you don’t drink the Kool-Aid, then what are you rooting for? But it does get harder as the expectation for disappointment grows season after season. Even after Embiid finally captured his long-coveted MVP award in the 2022-23 season, his disappointing performance in the playoffs has once again overshadowed any regular season success, and left fans yearning for more. 

But in a weird way, Sixers fans seem happier than ever during the dawn of the 2023-24 season. Even before Harden was officially moved to the Los Angeles Clippers this seemed to be the case, and there’s one man who deserves the credit: Tyrese Maxey. 

Tyrese Maxey is having a breakout season

If you’ve blinked at all since Maxey was selected as a late first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, you may have missed his meteoric development from a scrawny beam of energy to one of the best young lead guards in the league. If you’ve blinked while watching him, you’ve probably missed some of his best plays. 

While Harden headlines dominated the Sixers' offseason, they quickly took a back seat once the ball was in the air. Through three games, Maxey is averaging 30.3 points per game, 6.3 assists per game, only 1 turnover per game, and shooting 56 percent from three on over eight attempts per game. It is only three games, and there will be regression, but these are borderline All-NBA numbers so far.  

As a team, the last time the Sixers had this much verve was when Maurice Cheeks was their point guard. Not all of the credit goes to Maxey. Some, is of course, still owed to Embiid, who is flexing some better-passing instincts in the early days of this season, the seven turnovers against Milwaukee aside. 

Some credit is owed to new coach Nick Nurse too, who is clearly emphasizing ball movement and player movement much more than his predecessor, Doc Rivers. And credit is owed to Harden, whose absence played a significant role. A common phrase to sum up Harden’s offensive behavior during his time with the Sixers, and other teams, was that he dribbled the life out of the ball. And in that darkness, Maxey’s speed, smile, and shot was occasionally the only thing that continued to shine through it. With that darkness absent to start the season, Maxey’s brightness dominated. 

Similar to the credit he’s owed for the new-look Sixers, Maxey deserves credit for driving the Harden trade over the finish line. It is not something he did intentionally, of course, that’s not who he is, not yet at least. But inadvertently, he played a role. Negotiations between the Sixers and Clippers took place over nearly four months exactly. Sixers General Manager Daryl Morey’s stubbornness and determination, the Los Angeles Clippers shrinking championship window, and a phone call between Josh Harris and Steve Balmer — each franchise's owner — all played a role in getting this one done. 

But Maxey’s hot start to the season made urgency a priority. The conversation about what a potential Harden trade return could be shifted from finding a star ballhandler that would pair well with Embiid and Maxey to simply finding a star player that fits well with Maxey and Embiid. The Sixers are rumored to still be looking for a lead guard, which makes sense. At the moment, there aren’t many on their roster besides Maxey who can break opponents down off the dribble. 

But whoever this new player may be, they will be tasked with figuring out how they fit with Maxey and Embiid. The onus will be on them, not Maxey, and that is why Sixers fans are joyous for the first time in … four years? Six? Seven?  Regardless, they have Maxey to thank.