Tyrese Maxey is well on his way to this season, and no one has taken notice of his rise more than former teammate and superstar guard . Following the ' 108-107 win over the at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night, Harden heaped praise on Maxey, after the young guard scored a game-high 26 points, while adding eight assists and seven rebounds. “Man, he's a problem. I’m very, very proud of him. He’s very, very confident. He has an opportunity to make the mistakes and grow. Obviously, he’s a first-time All-Star but he works his butt off…He puts the work in, so the results are gonna show." Maxey Has Flourished in Lead Guard Role this season has been well-documented, as the 23-year-old has emerged as an almost-perfect running mate for superstar center and reigning MVP . And while Philadelphia has struggled to continue their winning pace since in early February, Maxey has stepped up to carry the Sixers through the season while maintaining a playoff spot. But perhaps the biggest factor behind Maxey's breakout has been Harden's departure from Philly; the seven-time All-NBA guard was in November for a handful of players and picks, freeing a spot as the lead ball-handler in the 76ers' backcourt. Maxey has flourished since, putting up career-high numbers as a scorer and playmaker, while propelling Philadelphia into contention as a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference. Tyrese Maxey - Year by Year Stats Comparison Category 2022-23 (with Harden) 2023-24 (Without Harden) MIN 33.6 37.4 PTS 20.3 25.8 REB 2.9 3.7 AST 3.5 6.1 FG% 48.1 44.9 3PT% 43.4 37.9 Maxey is currently the odds-on favorite to win the , and is coming off his first
NBA All-Star appearance in Indianapolis in February. Harden's Cold Welcome Back to Philly Harden has had success since he forced his way to LA earlier this season, but he was far from the warmth of the
California sun in his return to Wells Fargo Center, hearing boos rain down on him throughout the night as he put up 16 points and a game-high 14 assists. "I mean, I expected it. I really don't know what it was about, but I expected it. I don't even know why they were booing. If you asked them, they probably don't even know why they were booing." While his exit from the City of Brotherly Love was less than ceremonious, Harden admitted he has no regrets, and is comfortable with the decision he made to leave earlier this season. “For me, personally, I feel like I did everything I needed to do in the sense of, in the year prior, taking myself off of the max to help the team get better. For this city, you know what I mean? And for myself, obviously. But to win a championship. So things didn’t work out. I wanted to get paid. They weren’t talking. So it is what it is. You move on, everybody’s happy, life is good. And I mean, everybody’s looking forward.” Despite a , the 34-year-old has proven to be a seamless fit with the Clippers' star-studded core. In 65 appearances this season, Harden is averaging 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8.6 assists, while
shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from beyond the arc.