25-under-25: Tyrese Maxey is Philadelphia's last surviving source of joy

Tyrese Maxey ranked No. 9 on The Step Back's 2023-24 25-under-25, ranking the best young players in the NBA. Check out the rest of the list here.

The Philadelphia 76ers are the most depressing team in basketball. No organization is better at setting expectations high, only to yank the rug out from underneath its fanbase with the single most heartbreaking collapse imaginable. Every. Single. Year.

With James Harden and Daryl Morey playing hardball, it looks like another season of Joel Embiid's prime is about to be wasted on roster turnover and bad vibes. Even the excitement over Nick Nurse (and the exodus of Doc Rivers) has lapsed due to anxiety about the team's ability (or inability) to placate a visibly restless Embiid.

Embiid isn't blameless either. The Sixers' superstar center — the reigning MVP and former king of Philly sports — has essentially fallen on his face in every postseason to date. Health has been a constant struggle and Embiid is the only consensus top-five or six NBA player not to reach the conference finals at least once.

However, as the fanbase sours on its crown jewel and despairs about the future of a franchise that appears to be actively plotting its own demise half the time, there is one source of joy — one player who puts a smile on fans' faces with his exuberant energy and breakneck style of play.

That player is Tyrese Maxey.

The Philadelphia 76ers exist in a world of pain and Tyrese Maxey is the only reprieve

Maxey inexplicably fell to the Sixers with the No. 21 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. While there were concerns tied to his short stature and inefficient 3-point numbers at Kentucky, anybody who cared enough to watch the Wildcats play knew Maxey had the juice. Morey gets a lot of flack for his emotionless management style, but he aced his first draft pick — a selection that could conceivably save the Sixers from oblivion.

The 22-year-old is the bridge between the present and the future of Sixers basketball. If Philadelphia rebuilds, it will be with Maxey as the centerpiece. If the Sixers try to contend post-Harden, it will be with Maxey as the lead ball-handler and a true second fiddle to Embiid. Nurse has talked at length about getting Maxey more ball-handling reps as the team prepares for an imminent future without Harden. The Sixers are priming Maxey (and the fanbase) for expanded responsibilities.

It is fair to express some concern about Maxey's ability to operate as a true point guard. He's not a naturally inclined facilitator, which is why the Harden partnership has been so fruitful. Maxey is an elite spot-up shooter who can roast rotating defenders off the catch with his blistering first step and aggressive downhill drives. Maxey is speedy enough to create advantages in isolation, but he's not the craftiest ball-handler and he's not blessed with preternatural court vision. He doesn't have a history of advanced passing reads.

Still, he is 22 years old — there is time for him to develop through trial and error. The base skills are there. Maxey has transformed from a middling shooter in college to one of the best volume shooters in the NBA. He combines that ability to stretch defenses with back-breaking speed. It's extremely hard to adequately defend Maxey as a result; leave him space and he will fire away, crowd him and he will blow right by.

The ball-dominant, patient styles of Embiid and Harden have kept the Sixers' transition offense at bay in recent years, but expect more fast break opportunities if (or when) the offensive reins shift over to Maxey. He's a singular transition threat, capable of out-sprinting 99 percent of NBA players while also possessing unbelievable body control on full-speed finishes at the rim or pull-up jumpers.

If Philadelphia leans into a quicker, more fluid offensive scheme, it could come with another sizable leap from Maxey. He has improved noticeably with each passing season — heck, each passing month — since entering the league. His personal M.O. is to get "one percent better every day." He has been lauded by teammates and coaches alike for his unrelenting work ethic. Doc Rivers used to talk about locking Maxey out of the gym to get him to rest. Maxey wants to get better and he's highly coachable. He takes honest criticism well and he will listen to Nurse, a defensive mastermind who clearly has grand ambitions for the young guard.

Maxey is already a bonafide 20-point scorer and borderline All-Star who can heat up swiftly. If he takes a leap as a facilitator, improves marginally on defense, and is thrust into a more influential role, there's a chance he breaks out in a big way this season. The league already knows Maxey is good, but the stars are about to align for the Texas native. He's a Harden trade away from taking on the biggest role of his professional career for a team with immense pressure to win. It could take time, but it's difficult to find a player more determined to deliver successful results.

More often than fans would like, Maxey is the only Sixers player who feels like he is truly built for the moment. He has winning DNA, he's a tier-one athlete, and the shooting touch is off the charts. He has spent the last couple years as an elite third wheel, but Maxey is destined for much more.