Big Takeaways On Joel Embiid, Isaiah Joe and Tyrese Maxey
Big stuff from the big guy and some good stuff from the young guys.
Mike O’Connor is the best O’Connor in basketball writing. Previously of The Athletic, you can find Mike on Twitter @MOConnor_NBA.
Boy, was this a strange week in the world Sixers basketball. The Sixers played three games while absolutely decimated with injuries and COVID-related absences, going 1-2 against the Nuggets, Hawks, and Heat. It was perhaps unethical that these games were even played. The basketball itself was perhaps meaningless. But insofar as these games/this season/life in general has meaning, here are my takeaways from what transpired.
Tyrese Maxey is a professional bucket getter
Sure, the Sixers were depleted, and sure Maxey got more shot attempts than he would ever get normally, but you’d be delusional to say that Maxey’s stock didn’t go up from these three games. His 39-point performance against Denver was a shock to many -- even Doc Rivers, who said, “I didn’t know he could score 39 points in an NBA game.” (Some of us knew. Get with the program, Doc.)
After watching these three games, I don’t know how Maxey doesn’t move up a notch in the rotation. He simply needs to be on the floor for more than the 14-ish minutes per game that he was getting before.
To take it one step further: I firmly believe that if Maxey’s jumper ever gets to a point where teams legitimately fear it, he could be a 20+ point per game scorer. Right now, his jumper is somewhere in the realm of average -- it is at least at the point where defenses are willing to live with it, by going under his screens and cheating off of him aggressively when he’s off the ball.
If he can ever get the shot to the point where he’s forcing hard close-outs and drop coverages consistently, goodnight. He has all the tools to be a 20+ point per game scorer, and is frankly not that far off as a jump shooter.
The one area where Maxey struggled a bit offensively was with his inability to get to the line. Four free throw attempts in three games just isn’t going to cut it, especially for a player with Maxey’s size and play style.
I say this hesitatingly, but it is my honest assessment: I think the lack of free throws has been largely a fluke and Maxey will become a decent foul draw-er in due time with minimal adjustment. He is not afraid of contact whatsoever, and he has a ton of gimmicky/crafty instincts that will allow him to draw fouls. Perhaps the free throw shortage is, more than anything, a result of having to adjust to NBA speed, size, and physicality.
Regardless, Maxey’s performance has been an oasis of positivity in this strange and horrendous time. Maxey’s stock clearly went up as a result of this stretch, and he gave some excitement to an otherwise sad stretch of games.
Isaiah Joe, rotation player?
In addition to Maxey leveling up, Isaiah Joe also gave some encouraging performances with his increased minutes.
Earlier in the season, Joe had looked a little spooked in limited minutes. But after shaking off some youthful jitters, he’s made some valuable contributions, including four 3s in the win over Miami.
Joe not only has a quick release and deep range, but also can put the ball on the deck just enough to create his own shot a bit -- showing previews of being the ever-elusive archetype of Sixers player who can both shoot and dribble. Additionally, his defense both on and off the ball looked like that of an NBA player, even if he’s still 20 or so pounds of muscle away from being a plus-defender.
If there was an Isaiah Joe-Dakota Mathias quiet tournament happening for the 11th spot in the rotation, I’d say Joe should be declared the winner at this stage. He offers a tad bit more off the dribble and plays more under control on both ends.
Not that Joe figures to be a major part of this team’s rotation (barring the seemingly realistic possibility that roughly half the team is quarantined for several stretches of the season), but the takeaway from his performance in these few games is that he can feasibly take the floor without it feeling like the team is playing four-on-five. Long way to go, but it seems the Sixers have continued their recent track record of finding contributors late in the draft.
Joel Embiid is peaking
Joel Embiid is playing at a level that we have not yet seen from him. He is a legitimate MVP candidate. What he managed to do against Miami was downright ridiculous.
He carried a dead, lifeless, half-quarantined team to a win via sheer force of will. He was flat-out dominant on both ends of the floor.
All season long, Embiid has been scoring at will, anchoring an elite defense, and picking apart double teams whenever they came his way on offense. The level of comfort and ease with which he is dominating offensively is something that we have never seen before out of him. It is abundantly clear now more than ever: Embiid is in his prime, and the team should be as deep into win-now mode as they can be.
With Embiid’s size and injury history, there is absolutely no telling how long his window could be. It could be over at any moment, which should make the level of urgency even higher. Regardless of whether or not the Sixers are able to trade for James Harden, the level that Embiid is playing at has to inform all decisions they make over the next 12 months.
After all that it’s taken for Embiid to get here, and everything the team has been through, they have to surround him with the right pieces to contend for a championship. Now is their time.