Tyrese Maxey gave his first interview since the Philadelphia 76ers handed him a max contract extension and signed Paul George in free agency to create a big three with Joel Embiid. Maxey is excited to share the floor with George, explaining how he perfectly fits into the 76ers’ lineup.
“He’s that guy who you can pick up and plug into any system because of his talent. He’s 6’9. This guy can shoot the ball, rebound the ball, and pass the ball well. Play on the ball, play off the ball, play off hand-offs, play off transitions. Like, you know, the sky is the limit.”
Maxey emphasized what a strong fit George is alongside Joel Embiid as well.
“Having a guy like Joel Embiid, who’s the best player in the league, you have to be able to play off the ball, and you have to be able to play in hand-off games with him. You have to do a lot of different things to be versatile and I think he (George) could do that. I think he could play with the second unit and lead those units as well.”
The 23-year-old point guard is excited to see how head coach Nick Nurse puts these lineups together based on how free agency goes for the 76ers.
“We’ll see. That’s Coach Nurse’s job to figure out how we’re going to play. I just go out there and do what Coach Nurse tells me to do. We’ll figure all that out when the time comes. We have a little bit more work to do or whatever and find out who’s going to be on the team, but I think it’ll be great.”
"The sky is the limit"
🎙Tyrese Maxey talks Paul George on the Takeoff Podcast out next week pic.twitter.com/jZK34tp3of
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) July 3, 2024
Maxey averaged 25.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 6.2 assists last season, taking an All-Star leap in James Harden‘s absence. His leap has enabled the 76ers to remain competitive as a franchise after the mismanagement of other Joel Embiid co-stars such as Harden, Ben Simmons, and Jimmy Butler.
Paul George averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists last season, and as Maxey described, he can fit into their system effortlessly. The 76ers haven’t had a high-caliber wing next to Embiid since Butler was on the squad, so this could be a very impactful pairing bolstered by the presence of a scorer of Maxey’s caliber.
Philadelphia 76ers Looking For More Upgrades
The 76ers aren’t done dabbling in the trade or free agency market to fill out their roster. They have made signings such as Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon, and drafted Jared McCain and Adem Bona while re-signing Kelly Oubre Jr., but the roster still has multiple spots empty for free agents to fill.
The 76ers are reportedly trying to move on from Paul Reed, as the backup center is taking $9.2 million and was seemingly replaced in the lineup with the Andre Drummond signing. While Reed could be impactful as a power forward, the 76ers will be looking for a more impactful move at the position.
This roster has a complementary big three and decent depth already around it, so whatever Daryl Morey can add will be more reinforcements for a team that has long been left in the shadows as their rivals succeeded.
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