On paper, the Philadelphia 76ers are among the best rosters in all of basketball. A legitimate superstar in Joel Embiid, the perfect complementary star in Paul George, and arguably the best player on the roster, Tyrese Maxey, give them the ideal Big 3.
However, the team hasn’t been able to get it together throughout “The Process.” Now, as they try to climb out of the Play-In, their path is made markedly worse by the absence of their superstar point guard, who’s dealing with an injury.
Tyrese Maxey Injury Update: 76ers Point Guard Remains out of Lineup
It took a little while for Maxey, the 21st overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, to showcase his true potential. But he has quickly established himself as one of the best young guards in the league, earning national recognition.
This year, he’s taken another leap forward, emerging as one of the highest scorers in the league. Add in his strong playmaking and efficiency from the field and from distance, and he’s becoming a more complete player by the day.
But even after his strong play, Philadelphia isn’t making a whole lot of noise as a team. At 39-33, they are the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. But they sit just 1.5 games behind the fifth-seeded Toronto Raptors with 10 games still remaining on the schedule.
That makes each game vitally important for a team that is trying to make it out of the Play-In and back into the playoff picture. Unfortunately, even a winnable game like the one against the Chicago Bulls has been made more difficult by the lack of Maxey in the lineup.
MORE: Paul George Makes Public Apology to Fans As 76ers Star Nears Return After 25-Game Suspension
Out since mid-February, the star point guard first dealt with the injury in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Exiting the game early, he was immediately taken to the locker room, and immediate results showed that he would miss time.
However, since then, the situation has gotten worse, as he’s yet to step back on the hardwood floor for the 76ers. The official diagnosis came out soon after, suggesting a tendon injury in his right pinkie finger.
With his exact return timetable uncertain, fans in the City of Brotherly Love are going to have to wait a little while longer before he returns to the court. Without him, the road to the fifth seed is going to be all that much tougher for the 76ers.