Congratulations to the 76ers, congratulations to Harden! After all, the miracle of overturning did not appear! I believe that today, many Raptors fans are disappointed, and many fans who expect Rivers to create an embarrassing flip miracle are also disappointed. Today's game, the man who disappointed many fans who had this expectation, he was the 76ers' "new West Emperor" Teresa Maxi.
During the regular season, Ben Simmons did not play a single game for the team due to irreconcilable conflicts with the team. But the 76ers' record was once in the top three in the East before the trade came to Harden, and Embiid has long been at the top of the MVP competition list, of which Maxi's contribution is indispensable. As the final show of the first round of 2020, the defender, who is less than 190cm tall, was not given high hopes by the team at first.
But the NBA has never lacked inspirational stories, and Maxi is definitely the player who has written his own brilliant story this season. Simmons's abandonment of playing for the team gave Maxi plenty of a chance to show himself, and the diminutive defender cherished and seized the opportunity. He averaged 17.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game during the regular season, shooting 42.7 percent from three-point range. Compared to last season, the average score per game is nearly 10 points higher. What shines brighter than the stats, however, is his performance on the pitch, aggressive on the offensive end, good at breaking through the inside and causing damage, and the vision of the pass has improved significantly. Even more prominent is his surprising performance in key moments, having completed the offensive finish several times in key moments.
What is even more valuable is that Maxi has excellent adjustment ability, and after the team completed the transaction to bring in the big core ball carrier Harden, Maxi was once considered to be affected. Because before Harden's arrival, Maxi had been an important ball holding point for the team, and it was completely a way of playing with the ball in hand. Fans have been talking about how Harden's arrival will make it difficult for Maxie to play as well as before, but on the contrary, the 76ers have made the best adjustments, and Maxie has become the player least affected by the role transformation.
Even Harden and Embiid's run-in is not so smooth, even now, and the harden and Embiid that fans are looking forward to have not yet become the killer of the 76ers. On the other hand, Maxi showed great ability on the no-ball end, and did not lose confidence because of Harden's arrival, he was still able to open the deadlock at the moment when the team needed him most.
The Raptors have an excellent front line, but they are still relatively afraid of fast, impactful guards. Harden's injury has left him with not having a single impressive, highlight offensive performance throughout the season. Slower movements and unstable pace adjustments make it difficult for Harden to play the same breakthrough lethality that he once had during the Rockets.
But Maxie stepped up, took over the baton well, and disrupted the Raptors' defensive rhythm with excellent impact. In the sixth key game, Maxi scored 25 points and contributed eight assists, hitting five three-pointers. He scored 15 points in the third quarter of the game, and it was because of his wonderful performance that the 76ers completely pulled the score apart, winning the Raptors by 20 points in a single quarter, laying the foundation for the game to win. It can be said that Maxi saved Rivers and prevented the unprecedented 0-3 reversal in history!
At just 21 years old, Maxi's progress is staggering, and the last defender so young to be able to perform so well, I can think of derrick Rose. The double-emperor combination of Simmons and Embiid has fallen apart, but Maxi, the new "West Emperor", has ascended the throne, Harden and Embiid have such a young and outstanding player around them, and the prospects of the 76ers are worth looking forward to!