Tyrese Maxey says he will ‘be better’ but Sixers continue to struggle without Joel Embiid in loss to Bucks
“I mean, this team, us winning can’t solely be on Joel Embiid. It just can’t,” said the Sixers' burgeoning star Maxey, who shot 10-for-31 in Wednesday night's loss.
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The 76ers have a knack for playing poorly without Joel Embiid.
Tyrese Maxey was asked about that following Wednesday’s 124-109 season-opening loss to the Milwaukee Bucks without All-Stars Embiid and Paul George.
“We played one game,” Maxey said. “I’m not about to sit here and say that just because Jo[el] was out, we played bad. Yes, we did not win the game, which is the ultimate goal. But we’ve been with Jo all preseason. All training camp for the most part. …
“I mean, this team, us winning can’t solely be on Joel Embiid. It just can’t.”
» READ MORE: Sixers no match for Milwaukee Bucks in season opener without Joel Embiid and Paul George
Maxey knows the outcome, especially for championship-caliber team, shouldn’t depend on if a certain player plays.
“I feel like tonight, we gotta make shots,” he said, “and we gotta keep playing the right way. And I think we’ll be better. I’ll definitely be better. So I’m going to worry about that.”
But the Sixers are a dismal 16-28 in games without Embiid since the start of last season.
That’s why Maxey realizes he has to play much better than he did against the Bucks (1-0) at the Wells Fargo Center for the Sixers (0-1) to have any chance of winning without the 2023 MVP.
The All-Star point guard finished with a team-high 25 points, but missed 21 of his 31 shots. He went 2-of-9 on three-pointers.
Milwaukee did a good job of fighting through screens while defending him. In addition, the Sixers couldn’t create a lot of switches to get a more favorable matchup for Maxey.
The Bucks were also physical with him on his drives to the basket.
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“He’s getting bumped the whole way, and that happens, right?” coach Nick Nurse said. “At some point, you gotta kind of [realize that] maybe driving all of the way is not the answer tonight, right?
“That’s what we talked about. We know he’s got a drive game. We know he’s got a deep three game. And then he’s got to use a little bit more in the middle, right? I think that’s one of his growth areas. And again, he didn’t seem to adjust to that enough.”
The Sixers realize they must set better screens to get Maxey better scoring opportunities. The 23-year-old also has to help himself by changing directions better.
He did have several open looks that ended with rushed shots or poor decisions. As Nurse noted, there were times when he drove to the rim only to miss an out-of-control acrobatic layup when a mid-range jumper or pass to wide-open teammates was warranted.
It was obvious that Maxey tried to impose his will offensively to make up for the absence of Embiid and George.
» READ MORE: Sixers takeaways: Tyrese Maxey's shooting woes, Caleb Martin’s presence and more
“I wouldn’t say I was pressing,” he said. “I would say more of being ultra aggressive. I will agree with that. I feel like I came out. I played a little bit too fast. I know [coach Nick] Nurse wants me to play fast just before the defense loads up or whatever. But I played a little too fast. There were a couple of times where I could have got in there and taken my time on layups where I missed.”
The fifth-year veteran did a better job of kicking the ball out in the second half.
“I’ll be better,” he said. “I’m not worried about that. But I’ll definitely be better.”