After five years with the Toronto Raptors, head coach Nick Nurse gets a chance to start fresh in the Eastern Conference as the new leader on the sideline for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Although the 76ers are a team that is expected to be a perennial title contender, the storied franchise will still have to make some changes this NBA offseason to keep up with the other heavyweights in the league.
With superstar guard James Harden likely leaving the team to return to the Houston Rockets in free agency, the 76ers may need to lean more heavily on rising star Tyrese Maxey, which Nurse addressed in his introductory presser with the team this week.
"He's got a tremendous chance to improve and take a step forward and from all indications he's really hungry to do so." – Nick Nurse on @TyreseMaxey pic.twitter.com/uVSbfadX7e
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) June 1, 2023
Maxey has only been in the league for three years, but he’s improved tremendously from season to season, and it seems the team expects him to continue that improvement moving forward with high hopes for the 22-year-old.
The Kentucky product is coming off his best season yet in Philadelphia, as he averaged a career-high 20.3 points to go along with 3.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game.
Along with bumping up his averages across the board, Maxey improved in the shooting department as well as he shot a career-high 43.4% from beyond the arc during the 2022-23 season.
If Maxey can take another step next season, the 76ers might not feel the blow of Harden’s departure as much if they cannot replace the superstar guard in free agency or through a trade.
Reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid and Maxey could become a dynamic duo and a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference under Nurse.
NEXT: The 76ers Officially Introduce Nick Nurse
