‘The birth of a SUPERSTAR’ ⭐ Windhorst lauds Tyrese Maxey after 54 PTS | NBA Today

‘The birth of a SUPERSTAR’ ⭐ Windhorst lauds Tyrese Maxey after 54 PTS | NBA Today

So Tyrese Maxi had a career night in Milwaukee and the Sixers, they needed everyone’s 54 points. Let’s go now to Fizer Forum. Paul George, he came in hot in this one, Danny, in his second game of the season. He showcased that three-point shooting. Yeah, looking right at home. Second game back, but doing what he what they brought him in to do. Knock down shots via floor spacer. Guys falling asleep. Come on, Bobby Porters. He only got two three points. Fall asleep. Wake up. He scored Philly’s first 11 points in the first quarter. Uh but the fourth quarter that’s when it was time to take it to the max maxi time that is starting here with a step back. Come on dance. You know what I like to say? Dancing with the stars. Tyresese turbo mode Maxi. And I love the joy that these two play with. This is the future best back court in the NBA with BJ. Oh, I like that. BJ throwing it down here. And then Maxi catches it in the corner. Another three. Danny talking crazy to the bench too. Let them know. Tyrese respectfully. Bucks down by one. Turner catches it, knocks down the three. Give him the antlers. And then I like no one celebration before. I love that. Maxi drives. Turner. Turner really thought that he had it with that one. That’s why he gave us the antlers. But Maxi stone cold knocks down both free throws and sends the game to overtime. Cold blooded. So the 76ers, they lead by three in OT. And then Maxi putting the finishing touches here on this 50 piece. He’s their number one. Number two, number three, number four option. Not one, not two. I know you had that, young fell. Not four. He had a couple layups with the left, too. Uh Tyrese Maxi is making a real leap, though, to begin the season. That’s saying a lot because he was huge for them last year. He’s put up numbers for the Sixers that rival their MVP winners, including Wilt. Including Wilt, my friends. Through 15 games, he’s averaging over 33 points a night. Only Allen Iverson has a higher average to start a season. So Brian, what does the emergence of Maxi mean for the 76ers this season? Because a lot of us said, “Okay, this could be a lost year if Joel Embiid isn’t a full go.” Yeah, we are seeing the birth of a superstar here. He is playing like a superstar, which has it really enabled the Sixers to not think about Embiid on a day out, a night in night out basis. The best compliment I can give him is that he won MV most improved player two years ago and I think he could win it again this year because he has taken his game to another level. He’s really developed three level scoring close to the basket with both hands. Danny was just mentioning with the left hand. He made seven baskets with his left hand last night including some floaters. The idea of being able to perfect a floater with your off hand and I want to point out his three-point shooting. He’s really had a couple of down years shooting the three ball. Well, his three-point percentage this year is up 9% year-over-year. You can just see the work he’s put in on his game. Even though he’s already been an all-star, even though he’s already got a max contract, he’s in the middle part of his career and elevating his game. That is enormous for the Sixers who are in desperate need of of his offensive ability. Look, he’s essentially become the face of the franchise in Philadelphia. And you you think about giving them a chance to stay competitive and what that means in the Eastern Conference. I mean, it gives him a chance as well to be an allNBA type player. I don’t know if he’s going to beat out Nicole Joic and Sha Gails Alexander and different, you know, other guys for MVP. But getting MVP, that’s the type of level that he’s playing at carrying this team night in and night out. And I just saw, you know, him bump into Doc Rivers late in the game. I think his 50th point. And it just took me back. Doc Rivers actually asked Tyrese Maxi to go to the G-League during the 2020 2021 season and start to get some reps. More in a way of like he wasn’t playing. He was on the sideline like let’s get him some reps. Tyresese Maxi actually made the decision with his agent to decline that. He felt it was better for him to learn with his teammates, get experience, and now we’re seeing, as Brian said, a birth of a superstar, but a guy that can really give this Sixers organization a chance on a night. We love people who we we love a little bit of pettiness. just just a little sprinkle of I mean not a shocker considering you know who his agent is rich ball. So turning that down was not a shocker to me but I can go on and on about this kid cuz not only is he a great player he’s an even better kid. You played with him. I played I got a chance to play with Tyrese and I knew from the moment that I we had co during that time I got a chance to shake it. But you could tell when he walked in the building his stature is how he carried himself his aura that he was going to be special. At the time he wasn’t a great shooter. He shot like 30 from three but he was fast. He was explosive. I knew he could play. They tried to fill him in for Ben Simmons which was crazy. I’m going try to play that role. But now they’re predict moving the offense around him. But to see how he’s gotten better and better each year and then he started out shooting me. Yeah. We had a little debate one time and he still gives me grief for it, but I told him at one point he he was not a better player or couldn’t shoot better than Kobe White. And every time I see him, he lets me know about it. And if that was if that’s all you needed to shoot a little bit better, young fella, you’re welcome. Oh, there we go. I’ve never heard that story. He’s like, “Oh, Danny Green says like I’m not better than Kobe White.” To Kobe’s still a really good player and he was good at the time. And then Tyrese started out shooting me and I’m like, “What the hell got into you?” And clearly he took that personally. That’s the best thing for it personally every day for basketball fans. Tyrese Maxi wants all the smoke. He leads the NBA in minutes. He’s over 33 a game. He’s a guy and I think you’re talking about that shot. It’s the combination. He came into the league, everyone knew that speed, that athleticism, that explosion was off the charts. When you combine that with the fact that he’s shooting around 10 threes a game at 42%. That combination makes him a lethal guy. He is truly, like you said, a superstar. What’s more, sorry, what’s more impressive to me is his floor game and the three blocks and three steals. Him adding that to his game like he’s doing it all for this team. So, you got to he deserves his flowers. Yeah. Brian, I’m having a hard time deciphering here just like I’m still having a hard time talking. The Rockets and the Nuggets, what’s been most impressive to you so far this year? Where do you want to go? Well, the league right now, we know it’s a copycat league and everybody’s playing fast and hoisting threes and the Rockets are like a pickup truck in the middle of a race of a bunch of sports cars, okay? because they’re like, “We don’t have to play fast. We’re going to play slow. We’re not going to shoot three-pointers. We’re going to get offensive rebounds.” It is so amazing that in an era defined by fast-paced offense, that a team that doesn’t shoot threes and doesn’t go fast is better than everybody else. Now, they are making their threes. The ones that they’re shooting, they’re making, and that’s helping it. But, they are playing against the grain. And I, for one, love it. I love the way the Rockets are leaning into their personnel, leaning into the way Eme Udoko wants to coach. And look, the Nuggets are one of the teams that is doing great on offense. They’ve got a top offense led by Nicola Joic who’s having historically great season. But I have to admire the team that’s going its own way and having a lot of success that is fueling the Rocket start. I got to tell you, as as you were talking, Brian, Chen’s just sitting up straighter and straighter and straighter over the course of that conversation. But it’s worthy. It’s it’s worthy of this conversation, right? The Rockets, they’re redot. They’ve won 10 of their last 11 games. What is the organization saying, Shams? Is this what they envisioned, Malikica? Yes, in a way, but this is a team that’s super injury. You know, they’re dealing with a lot of injuries right now. You look at Oklahoma City, they’re in a class of their own. Denver is established and they’re deep right now and they’ve got so many players that they feel like they can count on after the offseason. The Rockets internally believe they’re figuring it out on the fly. Alper and Singon’s having a a really special start to the year. Kevin Durant’s figuring it out as the season’s going on. He’s putting up his Kevin Durant type numbers, but Amen Thompson and Reed Shepard are taking on consistent roles that they’ve never had at the NBA level. Amen Thompson is playing point guard consistently, which he’s never done. He’s a triple double throw on every on any given night. Reed Shepard is coming on strong the last couple of weeks, but this is a team that’s injuries ravaged right now. Fred Vanble potentially out for the season. We’ll see. And then Dorian Finny Smith, T East still out for several more weeks still. So, we haven’t seen Dorian Finny Smith with this team yet, but good news for us basketball fans watching this game tonight. We we do see here that Aaron Gordon is probable to play in this game. The big man battle, right? That that’s going to be something that we all have our eyes on. What do we call Alpiran Shenon around these parts? Baby Yic. We call him Baby Yic. Well, Big Joic or Nicole Joic, however you want to refer to him, was asked about those comparisons ahead of their matchup. I think I think he’s talented. I think people connect him with him, but I think we we different type of player. He’s he’s amazing player. Um I you can see some similarities, but I think I don’t want people to see him and tell me he’s like something like me. I I think he’s a good enough player uh that he’s good enough player to to have have his own story. Well, wise and complimentary words there from Nicolic. What are you watching in this big man battle, Danny? I mean, in a league where it’s three-point oriented and perimeter oriented, they’re saying the big man’s becoming non-existent, but these guys are bringing it back. Obviously, Joel Embiid’s been out and hurt, but if you look at the post ups throughout most other teams, they don’t post up anymore, but these guys are making teams have another big to be able to guard the post up. As you can see, they’re still scoring. They’re top in the league. Two top. Obviously, Joic is kind of doubling Sangon there, but they’re top in the league in post-ups because they have unstoppable moves like these. As you see Sangun and they’re also unbelievable passer gets the ball, takes his time, looks around, sees the defense, seeing who’s going to help the double daring the defense to double. Yeah. And gets that sky hook which is unstoppable. The reason why Kareem made it unstoppable. If you can perfect that. Yish the same. Now he may not take his time as much but he’s looking at the defense with every dribble seeing who’s going to double because he’s so great at passing. It’s a one-on-one easy right-hand hook. Unstoppable. Yeah, you guys know I’m in my happy place now. These are two players that have international experience. They carry that over to the NBA and they have really led their teams. And I’ll focus actually on the triple double aspect. Now I know for Alfred Chenon that is aspirational compared to Nicoola Jokic, but look at this right here. Only two players in the NBA average 20110 and seven. It is those two right there on the screen. 2310 and seven for Alpi and Joic. It’s I you guys I can’t even I can’t even fathom what he’s doing. Go ahead. I think with the absence of Fred Van Fleet has allowed Sangun to be their point guard. There’s concerns and worries that they wouldn’t be stable that point guard but he’s a playmaker so him able to do that and they’re obviously developing Reed Shepard who’s coming along but he’s able to be their kind of point forward point center and and be able to be like Nicole Joic and I still do believe that the Houston Rockets are ahead of schedule given the injury concerns I was like oh I don’t know if they’re going to make it to the top you have the head and shoulders leaders of the NBA the Oklahoma Oklahoma City Thunder then you’ve got the Nuggets and the Rockets they are the thing that you need your team to be is win the games you’re supposed to win and they’re doing exactly Exactly. That that’s a step for growth for them. Yeah, the Houston Rockets have been impressive to watch, particularly because again, the the three-point shot that is not in a in the modern NBA, usually when a team is near the bottom of the league and how many three-point shots they take. That is not a recipe for a number one offense. I don’t know if that’s going to be sustainable over the course of the entire season, but I do think they found something. I think they have found something here, and that certainly we’re excited for that marquee matchup tonight.

NBA Today’s Malika Andrews, Shams Charania, Brian Windhorst, Chiney Ogwumike and Danny Green discuss Tyrese Maxey’s career-high 54 PTS for the Philadelphia 76ers in an overtime win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The panel also looks ahead to tonight’s NBA Cup matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets.

0:00 76ers vs. Bucks highlights
1:56 Maxey’s emergence
5:38 Nuggets vs. Rockets preview

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