Joel Embiid guaranteed a Sixers’ playoff win after the game 2 loss to the Knicks. Fast-forward to game 6, the Philly side find themselves knocked out of the postseason. Embiid, who powered through his injury and minor Bell’s Palsy issue, could not save his side after the New York side punched their ticket to round 2 with a 118-115 win on Thursday.
After the game, Embiid and Tyrese Maxey joined the press, where the junior pro expressed his gratitude to the center. Maxey said, “As a partnership, as a friend, as a brother, I appreciate him because he was one of the first believers in me from day one,” when asked about the Cameroonian’s influence on him.
Maxey certainly came on his own this season, scoring 25.9 points per game in the regular season. The 23-year-old continued to shine in the postseason, improving his PPG to 29.8, along with 5.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists.
With Maxey reportedly in line for a max contract, the Sixers and Embiid could aim for a better postseason run next year. The youngster’s significant growth did not go unnoticed, and Joel Embiid predicted some big things for his teammate.
Joel Embiid Backs Tyrese Maxey in MVP Conversation
After the crushing defeat to the Knicks, Embiid discussed his disappointment with the result but also voiced his optimism for the next season. One of the key reasons behind his optimism is the emergence of Tyrese Maxey. Speaking of the future, Embiid said, “You’ve got a young superstar coming in and face of the franchise for his whole career in Philly.”
Embiid continued to add, “He has a chance to do something special next year again. I hope he becomes All-NBA this year. I think he can be in stuff like MVP conversations.” Maxey can certainly make a case for his All-NBA selection based on his performance this season.
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For now, Embiid and Maxey will have a long off-season ahead of them where they can regroup and come back as a proper championship contender next season rather than keep fizzling out in the first rounds of playoffs.
