Philadelphia 76ers
Breakout candidate: Tyrese Maxey
Almost by necessity, the Philadelphia 76ers are going to need Tyrese Maxey to step up in a big way this season. Especially if they do end up trading James Harden away (which seems like a foregone conclusion at this point). If the Sixers are going to keep pace with the rest of the Eastern Conference contenders, they’re going to need Maxey to have an even better season than he did a year ago. And the good news is that there is hope and belief around the league that Maxey can make that level of a leap.
Maxey has shown the ability to be a potential No. 2 or 3, at the very least, on the offensive end. It’s the defensive end where he’s struggled so far in his career. But if he can be average on that end of the floor, there’s a very good chance that we’re talking about Maxey being a unanimous star. He is that good of a player.
Even after the Harden trade demand, the Sixers aren’t in a terrible spot. And the presence of Maxey on the roster is a big reason why.