Averaged 37.5 points and 8.3 assists per game! Maxey evolves again, is there a dark horse for MVP?

In the regular season, the 76ers defeated the Wizards 139-134 in overtime in an away game.

The plot of this game is a bit interesting. The 76ers trailed all the way from the second quarter, falling behind by 19 points at most. Until there were 2 minutes and 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter, after Middleton made a turnaround jumper, the 76ers were still 10 points behind 116-126. It seemed that the defeat was determined.

However, in less than 3 minutes, the 76ers suddenly blasted a 10-0 wave to drag the game into overtime. Then in overtime, the 76ers were beaten 5-0 in the first game, but the Wizards responded with a 13-3 wave, reversing the victory.

There is no doubt that Maxi was the biggest contributor to the 76ers' victory.

Maxi played a total of 47 minutes in the game, making 11 of 25 shots, 3 of 9 three-pointers, 14 of 16 free throws, scoring 39 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal and 1 block, filling the data column.

In the crucial fourth quarter, Maxi didn't rest for a second, scoring 14 points and 3 assists in a single quarter - the opposite Wizards could only score 16 points in a single quarter.

In the decisive overtime, it was Maxi who scored 9 points with consecutive free throws - the entire opposing Wizards team could not score 8 points.

Since the start of the game, Maxi's performance can not be overstated. The three games before this game:

- against the Celtics, 13 of 24 shots, 40 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists

- against the Hornets, 7 of 20 shots, 28 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists

- Against the Magic, he made 15 of 32 shots and scored 43 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists

After four games, Maxi averaged 37.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game. His three shooting percentages reached 45.5%/47.4%/87.0% respectively, his true shooting percentage was 61.9%, and he had only 2.0 turnovers. What is the concept of

? Maxey currently has a total of 150 points. He is also the fourth guard in NBA history to score more than 150 points in the first four games. The previous three were Jordan, Jerry West and Westbrook, all of whom are Hall of Famers or future Hall of Famers.

If we add some criteria, Maxey is the second player in NBA history to score 150 points and 30 assists in the first four games. The last one was Westbrook in 2017 (151 points, 42 rebounds and 40 assists).

The data must be somewhat customized, but Maxi at the beginning of this season is no exaggeration to say that he is at the same MVP level as Benyama and Antetokounmpo. His scoring currently ranks second in the league, second only to Doncic's 46 points (only played 2 games), and assists rank seventh in the league, more than Harden, Cunningham and others.

The key point is that the 76ers started with 4 wins and 0 losses. This was even when George did not play a game, Embiid only played 3 games and had playing time restrictions. During this period, when Maxey was on the court, the 76ers could beat their opponents by 5.3 points per 100 possessions, and vice versa, only 2.0 points.

I thought Maxi would explode, but I didn't expect it to happen so completely.

Philadelphia's super star has already averaged 20+ per game in his junior season. After Harden left in the 2023-24 season, Maxey ushered in his first All-Star career. That season, he averaged 25.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. Due to his huge progress, he was also elected as the Most Improved Player.

Last season, due to injuries, the 76ers' performance was disappointing and they did not make the playoffs. However, Maxi's personal performance was still at the All-Star level, averaging 26.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game. During this period, he also scored 40+ points in a single game 4 times.

In fact, after the end of last season, many fans questioned whether Maxi could go further, because although his scoring increased, his efficiency dropped. His field goal percentage of 43.7%, three-point shooting percentage of 33.7%, and true shooting percentage of 56.2% were all the lowest since he was a rookie.

However, judging from the four games at the end of this season, Maxi seems to have ushered in a new evolution. His three-pointers have returned to the elite level, averaging 4.5 shots per game, and his aggressiveness in attacking the frame has increased a lot. He currently averages 16.8 breakthroughs per game and 11.5 free throws. This is one of Maxi's biggest changes since the start of the season. For comparison, in the past two seasons, he averaged only 5.6 and 5.4 free throws per game.

The 76ers team reporter commented on this: "For most of Maxi's career, it has been difficult to consistently draw fouls and get free throws, but it seems that the situation is changing this season."

Of course, there are only 4 games now, and to be honest, the 76ers' four opponents are not very strong. , but no matter what, Maxi deserves praise for such an explosive performance at the beginning. If he can maintain it-even if it is not the explosive data of 37.5 points and 8.3 assists per game, but the level of 30 points and 8 assists, Maxi has the hope of becoming MVP this year. This should be something that all fans did not expect before the start of the game.

Furthermore, Maxey's outbreak has also raised more expectations for the 76ers. Just imagine, if Maxey really reaches the top five MVP level, Embiid returns to health, and George can also find the form of the Clippers in the last year...

Coupled with VJ Edgecombe (the best rookie so far, averaging 22.3 points per game), Grimes (averaging 17.8 points per game and making multiple key shots), Oubre (averaging 17.8 points per game and a true shooting percentage of 72.4%), the 76ers may become the biggest dark horse in the league.