Last summer, it became abundantly clear that James Harden wanted to leave the Philadelphia 76ers, which meant that at least one player would have to step up and fill the void left by the superstar.
Tyrese Maxey heard that request and accepted the challenge.
Maxey has had a sensational season so far, scoring 26 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists.
Because of that, he is the odds-on favorite to win Most Improved Player of the Year in 2023-24, according to Bovada, via NBACentral.
Behind Maxey’s -550 odds are Coby White with +700, Alperen Sengun with +1800, Jalen Williams also with +1800, Jonathan Kuminga with +2800, and Jalen Johnson with +7000.
Tyrese Maxey is the favorite to win Most Improved Player, per @BovadaOfficial
– Tyrese Maxey -550
– Coby White +700
– Alperen Sengun +1800
– Jalen Williams +1800
– Jonathan Kuminga +2800
– Jalen Johnson +7000(Via https://t.co/jKJ3d8xxYi) pic.twitter.com/IxAf838Nin
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 6, 2024
Maxey has been an important part of the Sixers’ rotation since joining the team in 2020-21.
He began his career as a bench player but soon earned his place as a starter.
This year, he has started in all 55 games and has quite literally become an All-Star.
When the season tipped off, there was a ton of uncertainty about how Philadelphia would fare without Harden.
But Maxey made them competitive right out of the gate and helped them climb high in the Eastern Conference standings.
Of course, things have changed recently: the loss of Joel Embiid has severely harmed the 76ers and they are now the seventh seed in the East with a 35-26 record.
Now the future of the team is murky; they could get Embiid back in time and surge into the playoffs or they could fall short because of his injury.
Either way, 2023-24 has made it clear that Maxey is capable of being an All-Star player and is only getting better.
When the 76ers needed him most, Maxey did his best to carry his team.
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