3 Reasons Tyrese Maxey can keep Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers afloat

Tyrese Maxey is developing into a leader

Tyrese Maxey won't dominate on the level of Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers will miss the level of physicality that he brings but this will be an opportunity for Maxey to stand out as a leader. It will be interesting to see how his teammates respond to him, and even though he is still young, he has the potential to lead this veteran-laden group until Embiid returns.

Maxey should embrace this challenge as it will only help his confidence and his teammate's trust in him to come through in clutch situations. With Embiid's extensive injury history, the 76ers should have solace in knowing that they have another player who they can depend on. We all knew that this kid could score coming into the league, but as time progressed, Maxey's playmaking and defense improved dramatically, therefore forcing the 76ers to expand his role as he has rounded into a great all-around player.

It's no accident that Maxey just earned his first NBA All-Star selection, and if he continues to play at this elite level, there will be many more All-Star appearances for him in the future.

Just two days after it was determined that Embiid would be out for an extended period, Maxey torched the Utah Jazz in a 127-124 win and dropped a career-high 51 points which proved that he was capable of holding the fort down until Embiid is healthy.

All that can be asked is to keep the team in contention for a playoff spot and to finish the season strong. Maxey may be small in stature but we will be watching to see if he can continue to carry the 76ers.