Jaylen Brown Hands Tyrese Maxey Keys To Philadelphia 76ers

Jaylen Brown credits Tyrese maxey for leading 76ers© Instagram/ tyresemaxey and Instagram/ fchwpo

Jaylen Brown has made it clear who runs the Philadelphia 76ers. Speaking about his adjustment since July's blockbuster trade from Boston, the guard said Tyrese Maxey leads the team, and the team belongs to him. Brown's comments come as Maxey posts 25-plus points every game, a streak no other NBA player has matched this year.

Brown Settles In As The New Arrival

Brown spent his first ten NBA seasons in Boston, where he became a five-time All-Star and a Finals MVP. For a decade, the Celtics and Sixers were rivals, and Maxey spent plenty of nights trying to slow him down. Now Brown is the new arrival in someone else's building, and he sounds fine with it.

He arrived in a July trade that surprised much of the league, and he is still settling into a new city, a new system, and a coach he's called defence-minded.

“Maxey's been leading the way. 100%,” Brown said. “This is his team.” He noted that Maxey and Joel Embiid have been in Philadelphia for years, so the mindset has been to complement them while he finds his footing.

That is a humble line from a player with his résumé. It also matches what Maxey said when camp opened, praising Brown's communication and his willingness to guard opposing ballhandlers.

Maxey's Numbers Back Up The Claim

The numbers back Brown up. Maxey is the only player in the league this season to score at least 25 points in every game, and he leads the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring. When Philadelphia needs a basket late, the ball finds him. He also led the league in minutes per game last season, so the workload is heavy.

Coach Nick Nurse sees a change that goes past the box score. Maxey is more confident this year, Nurse said, and he now truly understands that he is a really good player. For a guard who made the All-NBA third team last season, that says a lot about where his head is.

Philadelphia has stacked talent around him. Brown, LeBron James, Embiid and VJ Edgecombe all share the floor with Maxey, and any of them could have claimed the spotlight. Brown, for one, chose not to.

Whether that pecking order holds through a long season will depend on health and minutes. For now, Brown does not doubt whose team it is.