Tyrese Maxey had many valid excuses last season. 

The Sixers’ injuries were rampant all year. It’s not normal for young, 6-foot-2 guards to constantly save the day. Everyone endures shooting slumps. He struggled with a season-ending finger injury. 

Fifteen games into the 2025-26 season, all the bleakness seems to be behind him. Maxey, a fanatical worker and winner of the NBA’s 2023-24 Most Improved Player award, is taking another massive leap. 

The 25-year-old has played at an MVP level for a 9-6 Sixers team that’s already notched quite a few heart-pounding wins. He posted a career-high 54 points, nine assists, five rebounds, three blocks and three steals Thursday in an overtime victory over the Bucks.

Maxey’s co-stars have still been mostly unavailable. Joel Embiid’s played in six games and missed his sixth straight in Milwaukee because of a right knee injury. Paul George had a valuable 21-point performance against the Bucks, but he sat out the Sixers’ first 12 games as he ramped up following arthroscopic surgery in July on his left knee. 

So, Maxey’s barely been on the bench. He’s played an NBA-high 40.7 minutes per game and rookie teammate VJ Edgecombe is second with 37.4. No NBA player has averaged 40-plus minutes in a season since Monta Ellis back in the 2010-11 campaign. 

With 33.4 points per game, Maxey sits second in the league in scoring. Wilt Chamberlain’s 33.5 per contest in his 1965-66 MVP season are the most in Sixers history. Embiid averaged 33.1 in his 2022-23 MVP season. 

There’s many hard-earned nuances to Maxey’s vast scoring package. He routinely drops in lefty layups and floaters, shifts pace, surges downhill, draws free throws in crafty fashion. His range stood out in Milwaukee. No defense is equipped to guard dynamic drivers who also swish foot-on-the-logo jumpers. 

According to Cleaning the Glass, Maxey’s 124.6 points per 100 shot attempts would be the best mark of his career. He went 18 for 30 from the field and 12 for 14 at the foul line in Milwaukee. 

Maxey’s 7.9 assists per game and 33.0 assist percentage would easily be career bests, too. He’s had a good time running the Sixers’ offense and tossing up lobs to Edgecombe.

“Y’all said I couldn’t pass,” Maxey said with a smile on Nov. 8. “I had to work on my passing. I honestly did a lot in the summertime. Some of my friends helped me out just with trying to make reads. … This is my sixth year. Every year I’ve been trying to play a better floor game. (Player development coach Toure’ Murry) has been on me about how, if I’m going to score the ball a lot, I’ve got to be able to get my teammates involved, too. It helps me. It helps me be more aggressive.”

Through all the losses last season, Maxey’s defensive progress was a silver lining. He’s got quick feet and clever hands, and he’s continued to take pride in his effort. Maxey led the Sixers in both steals and blocks on Thursday.

Beyond the numbers, Maxey’s made tons of intangible improvements. 

He appears to have much more trust in his instincts as a leader —  what play to call in a crucial moment; when to encourage and when to correct younger players; how to play with both contagious joy and steely determination. 

“I think probably the end of my fourth year, I just remember Joel pulling me to the side and telling me that my voice is going to be needed,” Maxey said on Oct. 20. “People see how hard I work, how much I care about winning and the franchise. And Joel, he’s a more reserved guy. Of course he’s talented on the court — that’s what he does — but he was just telling me that’s a way for me to step up, leading and being vocal. 

“Last year I tried to start it at the beginning, but I didn’t really get going the way I needed to until probably toward the middle of the season. It’s just what I do now, I guess. I’m old.”