Averaged 33.4 points per game! Can Maxey win the scoring title and the best team?

In the regular season, the 76ers defeated the Bucks 123-114 in overtime away from home.

In this game, 76ers star Maxi once again produced a masterpiece: playing 46 minutes, he made 18 of 30 shots, 6 of 15 three-pointers, 12 of 14 free throws, and scored 54 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks. What is the concept of

?

- 54 points is Maxi's career high

- The sixth 50+ player in the NBA this season and the first 50+ player in the Eastern Conference

- The 4th 50-point game in his career +, the previous three times all occurred in the 2023-24 season, which were 50 points, 51 points, and 52 points

-the four times of 50+ ranked fourth in the history of the 76ers, second only to Chamberlain's 11 times and Allen Ai's 11 times. Ferson 10 times, Embiid 8 times

-The only player in team history who scored 50 points and 9 assists in a single game was Chamberlain

The game process was even crazier than the data. Maxi had already scored 23 points in the first half. In the second half, Maxi didn't rest for a second. He scored 22 points and 3 assists in the fourth quarter + overtime. In contrast, the Bucks only scored 33 points during this period.

At the end of the game, Maxi's plus-minus value reached +18, the highest in the team. In other words, in less than 8 minutes when Maxi was not on the court, the 76ers lost a net loss of 9 points to the Bucks. The importance is self-evident.

Before this game, Maxi's scoring average had reached 31.9 points per game, ranking third in the league.

After this game, this number increased to 33.4 points, surpassing Alexander (16 games, averaging 32.0 points per game) and rising to second place. Currently, only Doncic (11 games, averaging 34.6 points per game) is ranked in front of him.

Averaging 33.4 points per game is not simple. From the 90-91 season to the present, the only scoring champions who have scored more points than Maxi are: 06 Kobe (35.4 points), 19 Harden (36.1 points), 20 Harden (34.3 points), and 24 Doncic (33.9 points).

If someone had said that Maxi could win the scoring title before the start of the season, I am afraid most fans would laugh it off, but now it is definitely not impossible, and Maxi really does not only score well.

The current data he has handed over are: 33.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game, with a shooting percentage of 47.3%/42.1%/87.8% and a true shooting percentage of 61.8%.

For comparison, Maxi last season: averaged 26.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of 43.7%/33.7%/87.9% and a true shooting percentage of 56.2%.

While his scoring surged by 7.1 points, his efficiency also improved tremendously. The three-pointers have finally returned to the level that Maxi should have had (Maxi had two seasons with a three-point shooting rate of more than 42%). He is currently averaging 4.1 three-pointers per game. He is also the only player in the league this season who can average 4+ three-pointers per game, the other is Curry (4.5).

In addition to being the scoring champion, Maxi's passing cannot be ignored. He averaged a career-high 7.9 assists per game, and only made 2.8 turnovers, with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.81. Maxi's ability to control mistakes has always been excellent. In the 2023-24 season, Maxi's All-Star season, he averaged 6.2 assists per game and only 1.7 turnovers, with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.73.

Here is another interesting comparison: In the same 2023-24 season, Maxi was also elected as the Most Improved Player. That year, his data increased by 5.6 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists compared to the previous season. This season, it is 7.1 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. Coupled with the improvement in efficiency, this year's improvement may be greater from a data perspective alone, and "transforming from an All-Star to a superstar" is more difficult than "progressing from a star to an All-Star."

It's not just the basic statistics that are dazzling. Before this game:

- When Maxi was on the court, the 76ers scored 118.8 points per 100 possessions, a net advantage of 3.2 points over their opponents.

- Without Maxi on the court, the 76ers scored 101.6 points per 100 possessions. Net loss to opponents by 10.6 points

You should still remember that Embiid won the MVP in 2023. Embiid's on/off value that year was +10.3, and Maxey's on/off value this season has reached +13.8, and this number will continue to increase after this game.

It is no exaggeration to say that Maxi is among the top five MVP players this season (ranked eighth in the previous period). Before the start of the season, the expectation for him was to return to the All-Stars. Now that the All-Stars are 100% a thing, the question may have become:

1. Can Maxi win the scoring title?

2. Can Maxi squeeze out one of the top five players and be selected for the best team?

3. Has Maxi replaced Embiid as the new king of Philadelphia?

Of course, there are also concerns. Maxey's current average playing time per game is 40.7 minutes, ranking first in the league in off-season, followed by his teammate VJ Edgecomb, who averages 37.4 minutes per game.

Although Maxi is very physically capable, in today's high-tempo era, playing each game for so long is really a huge hidden danger. Considering that Maxi is still a defender who relies heavily on explosive power, Nurse should still use him more cautiously.

Maxi was the 21st pick in the first round of the 2020 class. In his rookie season, he was still the younger brother next to Embiid + Simmons. He averaged only 8 points per game, but he has really improved every year since then. I hope he can continue his performance in the first month of the season. This year will definitely be a top ten performance in the league. Continue to look forward to it and continue to witness it.