76ers' Tyrese Maxey wins NBA most improved player award

Two years ago, Tyrese Maxey was a noteworthy sixth in the Kia Most Improved Player voting, highlighting the significant strides he made from his rookie season to his sophomore year in the NBA. This year, the Philadelphia 76ers' guard has outdone himself, earning the title of the NBA's Most Improved Player after an even more dramatic improvement from his third to his fourth season.

Maxey, now an All-Star, saw his scoring average increase for the third consecutive year, ending the regular season with impressive averages of 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game—each a career-best. In a tight race, he narrowly surpassed Chicago's Coby White and Houston's Alperen Sengun, who finished second and third, respectively. White finished the season with averages of 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, while Sengun posted 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.

Maxey's surge in performance was partly necessitated by the early-season departure of James Harden, which thrust him into a more prominent role in the Sixers' offense. Additionally, when reigning MVP Joel Embiid suffered a mid-season meniscus injury, Maxey stepped up as the focal point of the team's offensive efforts. He recorded three 50-point games this season, matching Embiid for the most by any player, and set a new career-high with 52 points against the San Antonio Spurs on April 7.

The NBA is set to continue its award announcements on TNT's pregame shows, with the Sixth Man of the Year to be decided among Sacramento's Malik Monk, Milwaukee's Bobby Portis, and Minnesota's Naz Reid. Following that, the Clutch Player and Coach of the Year awards will be announced, featuring candidates from teams across the league. The dates for the announcements of Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Most Valuable Player are still pending.


Source Sportsnet : 76ers' Tyrese Maxey named NBA's Most Improved Player
Source NBA : Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey named 2023-24 Kia NBA Most Improved Player