A young player who doubled his stats in his second season compared to his first season. Our protagonist, Maxi, is about to form a Philadelphia 76ers starting backcourt with Harden, and the pairing should not be underestimated. The 76ers have made it clear in the deal talks that Maxi is not tradable, how much can the backcourt composed of Maxi and Harden bring to the 76ers?
In his rookie season, Maxi averaged just 8 points per game and played only 15 minutes. This season he's averaging close to 17+4+5 and his offensive efficiency is outstanding. Shooting 47.1 percent from the field, 39.8 percent from three-point range, and easily more than 85 percent from the free throw line. Looking at the league as a whole, how many second-year rookies can raise their offensive efficiency to this level?
Maxi doesn't have any blind spots on the offensive end, and he can do every offensive means we can imagine. With breakouts, close-range throws, mid-range and steady three-point shooting, Maxi has become an out-and-out offensive threat. His basic skills are very good, and his physical fitness is good, his explosive power is very strong, and he often bursts into the inner line like an antelope with his legs open. Maxi has both the ball and the no-ball, and the presence of embiid will neither occupy much ball possession nor open up space for the team. So starting from this trait, the prospects for Maxy and Harden's partnership must be very clear.
Harden is a player with average no ball ability and must have the ball in hand. The actual position of Harden at the Nets this season is point guard, combing the team's power. Harden's average assists per game has been at the top of the league over the past few seasons, and the 76ers have been missing a stable ball-handling organizer these seasons. At critical moments, many of their attacks will evolve into singles, which is definitely a headache. Although Maxi is ostensibly the team's point guard, he is essentially a shooting guard, and Maxi's organizational ability is average. Maxie has only come close to five assists in nearly 36 minutes this season, and Harden is twice as much as Maxie. When Maxi and Harden are paired, they don't have to worry about the organization and can focus on the offense. His offensive efficiency is likely to improve further.
Harden's arrival is also a blessing for Maxi's growth. Harden is experienced, has won many NBA scoring champions, and playing Maxi next to Harden should learn a lot of skills. He can further strengthen his foul play and further strengthen his step-back three-point shot. Maxi is currently at the peak of his learning ability, and the 21-year-old is like a sponge, and he will definitely learn skills diligently.
Harden was like a mentor to Maxi. The 76ers management's ability to select rookies has always been good, and the 76ers have selected many excellent new people in recent seasons. There must be a reason why the team has been reluctant to trade Maxi as a non-sale product, and the 21-year-old Maxie may have shown star-level development potential. So the 76 want to vigorously train him. Now that Maxi and Harden have formed a 76ers backcourt, the team's strength has improved significantly, and Maxi's future development prospects have become brighter. How many defender duos in the whole league can suppress these two people from strength? Dear readers, how do you rate the 76ers guard duo of Maxi and Harden? Feel free to comment in the comments section below the article.