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Nets' Ben Simmons praises 76ers' Tyrese Maxey's growth following All-Star announcement

Benyam Kidane

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Nets' Ben Simmons praises 76ers' Tyrese Maxey's growth following All-Star announcement image

Ben Simmons was back in Philadelphia over the weekend as the Brooklyn Nets picked up a 136-121 win over the 76ers.

While earning a valuable win over his former team was his top priority, he also made sure to show love to former teammate Tyrese Maxey following the 76ers guard's inaugural All-Star selection. 

Simmons, a three-time All-Star during his tenure in Philadelphia, played in front of Maxey, who was selected with the No. 21 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Maxey's playing time was limited in his rookie season, but was elevated into the starting lineup in the wake of Simmons' holdout before he was traded to Brooklyn. 

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Following Simmons' departure, Maxey maintained his spot in the starting lineup alongside James Harden and has been on a star trajectory ever since, much to the delight of Simmons.

“He deserves it,” Simmons said of Maxey. “He puts in so much work. I’ve seen him, three years now, and he just doesn’t stop working.

"He’s got a great IQ, good person, I’m really happy for him. He continues to grow and really lead this team.”

Tyrese Maxey career stats
Season PTS AST REB STL FG% 3P% FT%
2020-21 8.0 2.0 1.7 0.4 46.2 30.1 87.1
2021-22 17.5 4.3 3.2 0.7 48.5 42.7 86.6
2022-23 20.3 3.5 2.9 0.8 48.1 43.4 84.5
2023-24 26.2 6.4 3.5 1.0 45.1 38.3 86.1

Maxey's leap as a scorer and a playmaker has been crucial to the 76ers' challenge in the Eastern Conference, with the 23-year-old speeding up the team's offense with his elite transition play. 

“His pace....He’s so quick as a small guard, but he’s pretty strong. He gets to the rim, shoots the ball really well off the dribble,” Simmons explained.

"He just keeps getting better, keep developing his game. He puts a lot of work in, the sky’s the limit for him.”

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Maxey poised for All-NBA payday

Tyrese Maxey Philadelphia 76ers 2023
(Getty Images)

A leading contender for the Most Improved Player of the Year award, Maxey's potential list of accolades this season could put him among the league's best. 

With Joel Embiid, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, Heat forward Jimmy Butler and Knicks forward Julius Randle in danger of being ruled ineligible for All-NBA accolades due to the league's new rule mandating players appear in a minimum of 65 games, Maxey could well find himself in the All-NBA conversation at season's end. 

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Maxey is fresh off dropping a new career-high 51 points against the Utah Jazz, becoming just the fourth player in franchise history with multiple 50-point games in a season. 

If he can continue to keep the 76ers afloat with Embiid sidelined with a knee injury, Maxey's All-NBA chances will only improve. 

Awards aside, an All-NBA nod for Maxey would also see the former Kentucky guard earn a huge raise in the offseason, where he is already in line to sign a max extension.  

If he earns an All-NBA spot, he will be eligible for a max contract that begins at 30 percent of the salary cap instead of 25, up to $245.3 million over five years, with a first-year salary of $42.3 million.

Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor and has been covering the league for The Sporting News since 2016. In his spare time you can find him watching Allen Iverson highlights on repeat.