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How will Tyrese Maxey adjust to an off-ball role in the Sixers' offense?
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- How will Tyrese Maxey adjust to an off-ball role in the Sixers' offense?
How will Tyrese Maxey adjust to an off-ball role in the Sixers' offense? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey pulled off the offseason of a lifetime as Jaylen Brown and LeBron James are set to join Tyrese Maxey's starting five alongside Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe.
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Maxey is entering his seventh NBA season and has tangibly improved his scoring output and skillset in each of those seasons. While sporting a supremely high usage rate, he keeps his turnovers well in check with low-risk playmaking and, last season, took the step as the team's spiritual leader on and off the court.
Entering the 2026-27 season, although still labeled as the team's starting point guard, Maxey will be seeing far fewer reps on the ball with many gifted scorers flanking him. Maxey's playmaking for others could take a leap, but his scoring will likely begin to come through other avenues within the offense.
Brown's scoring profile is similar to Maxey and Embiid's. Lots and lots of isolation duels and superbly tough shot making, but Brown lacks the impromptu playmaking reads in real time.
LeBron James, at 42 years old before this season ends, will also have the ball in his hands a good chunk of time. However, James offers something invaluable for Maxey's growth and mendability — his world-class playmaking.
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So with Maxey moving off the ball, what exactly will his role look like?
Despite Maxey's monumental workload in his last two seasons, we actually have a decent sample size of his off-ball scoring profile.
While spectators' eyes are drawn to the provocative handle of Maxey in isolation, his speed, flexibility and shooting prowess are showcased in unique ways without the basketball in his hands.
The gravity that Maxey carries makes him a nightmare to guard one on one. A very simple way Maxey is able to get himself open is utilizing the backdoor cut.
Blazing first steps and acceleration make his change of direction something that the entire league struggles to bottle up.
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But it's not just his physical tools that open this up. His atomic level outside shooting and ability to knock down contested shots from practically anywhere on the court improves his window to dance off the ball and into open space. We see defenders bite on his pump fake, which gives him a chance to relocate; but it's also the game plan for defenders to try to deny Maxey even possessing the ball if he doesn't start a possession with it.
To do this, defenders are angling their body to deny Maxey from receiving the ball, but in doing so, the defenders position is giving up something else … a lane to the basket.
It doesn't take an advanced playmaker to get Maxey the ball when he's beelining towards the rim. Sometimes a more advanced pass was called for by his teammates, but seldom was it Maxey's teammates creating the advantage. More often it was Maxey creating the advantage with his burst and ability to manipulate the defense, and relying on his teammates to maintain his advantage.
This upcoming season, he's going to have several more playmakers to assist him, including James, who may be the most prolific passer the game has seen and is projected to settle into a playmaking role.
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Aside from a read-and-react style of off-ball play, Nick Nurse also had some tricks and sets for Maxey to get open without the ball.
A quick-hitting action that was money for the Sixers all season long was the 1 Away set that Nurse would run for his shooters.
It's a screen set while facing away from the ball so that someone with shooting ability can run off the screen, catch and fire with an open shot.
Joel Embiid setting the screen gave the Sixers the most success since he was the largest body that Maxey's defender would have to chase around.
As seen in the above video, it is a tall task to guard Maxey while running off one screen. Nurse took it to another level when he would run the play 3 Exit for Maxey.
An overkill play from the Sixers.
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Get Maxey in a straight line drive running baseline off three separate screens. A handful of players in the league are winning a footrace against Maxey. None of them are winning that race when having to avoid three obstacles.
The way to defend this was to switch on each screen, but that leaves you vulnerable to a Nick Nurse Special.
If the third and final screen is set by the Sixers big man, this means that on the switch, Maxey has the opposing team big in his crosshairs. Good luck to anyone over 6'10" with the foot speed of Tyrese Maxey.
The final major way the Sixers utilized Maxey in an off-ball role last season came as a bit of a decoy.
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Established is that Maxey is terrifyingly difficult to cover around any sort of screen. What about if he is the screener?
It may seem insignificant but setting up plays with him as a screener can then weaponize him into a surprise attack for defenses.
By having him twirl screen in sets seemingly designed for another player, Maxey can ambush defenses that are preparing for an attack elsewhere.
So while Maxey's on-ball reliance will take a hit this year alongside some new superstar teammates, there is little worry about his ability to use his waterbug quickness to help the offense without the ball in his hands.
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Nurse will also likely dig a little deeper into his playbook now that he has more weapons on the offensive end. A spoil of riches for the Sixers' offense to put pressure on defenses will result in several new looks for Maxey and others.
But expect Maxey to continue to be a terror for defenses, whether he has the ball in his hands or not.
