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Tyrese Maxey · A mere week removed from being recognized as 2023-24’s Most Improved Player — an honor given to the player who most effectively raises his game from one season to the next — Tyrese Maxey, ironically, used the most critical stretch of the Philadelphia 76ers’ season to confirm what was known from the moment he first arrived on the NBA scene. Nearly unmatched in his ability to creatively light up the scoreboard in a hurry, the first-time All-Star gets set on a task to prove it, with Philadelphia in dire need of a season-saving 3-pointer and only 10 seconds remaining. Fearless in his approach, the smooth-shooting floor general snakes his way around a teammate’s drag screen before pulling up from the New York Knicks’ midcourt logo, calmly connecting on a 35-foot bomb to resuscitate the 76ers’ season and send the game into overtime. Relentlessly optimistic, even in the face of improbable scenarios that included a 96-90 deficit with 25 seconds remaining, and a five-point deficit in overtime, Maxey’s clutch gene and self-assured play routinely kept Philadelphia alive on their way to a resilient Game Five survival on April 30, 2024. Virtuosic in perhaps the finest performance of his career to date, Maxey logged 51 minutes on the way to an efficient 46-point showing, pairing it with five rebounds, nine assists, and seven 3-pointers. · State of Mint