Tyrese Maxey Touted to Win Prestigious NBA Award Ahead of Alperen Sengun and Cam Thomas

Dec 1, 2023 | 3:30 PM EST

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As the regular season commences, bets and predictions are already underway for the likely winner of the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award. Riding in the hot seat for this title are Tyrese Maxey, Scottie Barnes, Alperen Sengun, and Cam Thomas who are all exceeding expectations this season. Following the hierarchy, Cam is 4th in the odds of winning the title, while Tyrese appears to be the most favored player for the award.

In a recent episode of ex-NBA star JJ Redick’s The Old Man and The Three podcast, he dissects the betting odds for the potential player who could take home the coveted title. In his opinion, if everything goes right for Tyrese, given that he is consistent throughout the season, he might be the front-runner in this award, exceeding Cam and Sengun.

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The buzz around Maxey’s probable win is because of the way he started the season

Redick brings out the numbers to make his point; ahead of Cam Thomas who is fourth in the odds at plus 1800, are Tyrese in odds-on-favored at minus 105, Scottie Barnes at plus 550, and Alperen Sengun at plus 650. As the numbers suggest, Maxey tops the odds. Redick explains that “so much of the Maxey buzz about this award is because of the way that he started the season.”

Tyrese winning the title only depends on whether he can sustain his 25-plus average points in a game for the entire season, rack up the assist numbers, and maintain the efficiency in this momentum, as Redick points out. So far, Tyrese has been consistent in his performances, leading the Sixers‘ charts in assists with an average of 6.7, and falling behind Joel Embiid (32.0) in points with a 27.0 average.

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The man with the deadly smile

It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that Tyrese, 23, is an integral part of Philly. While he is known for always wearing a smile on his face unlike most NBA stars who can kill with a glance when they are in game mode, do not be fooled. Tyrese still can unarm defenders with his insane playmaking skills and create space to shoot. He scored his career-high 50 points in a game against the Pacers on 12th November, contributing to the 137-126 victory for the Sixers.

On Wednesday’s 124-114 loss against the Pelicans, Tyrese finished with 33 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists and 2 steals. Fans have been expecting Tyrese to take a leap this season, but it is safe to say that he has exceeded all expectations with his speed, agility, and ability to drive in and attack the rim. With Joel Embiid alongside him, the two have a very strong two-man game going on and the dream of heading into the playoffs doesn’t seem too distant for the Sixers.

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What are your thoughts on Tyrese Maxey’s performance this season? Has he really upped his game or is it just hype? Share your thoughts!