Philadelphia 76ers Star To Return This Week

Out for nearly six weeks with a fractured foot, it appears that the return to the Philadelphia 76ers lineup is only days away for burgeoning star Tyrese Maxey. 

Tyrese Maxey is hopefully back Friday night! https://t.co/3I2qFCLKOj

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) December 27, 2022

Source confirms Sixers expect Tyrese Maxey will return Friday night in New Orleans 👍🏻

He will have been out 6 weeks pic.twitter.com/Zc0GHA1isw

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) December 26, 2022

He was out on the court shooting some threes after shootaround today, and team sources indicate that he should be back in the lineup on Friday, though on a minutes restriction. 

The 22-year-old was averaging 22.9 points and 4.4 assists when he went down on Nov. 18th. The Sixers were 8-7 at that point, but have gone 11-5 since, rising from 8th in the Eastern Conference up to 5th as of today. He comes back to a team on an 8-game winning streak, but their offense is still just 14th in efficiency, so he'll obviously be a welcome addition. 

One of the biggest questions about Maxey's return is what will become of Shake Milton, who had stepped up big-time in Maxey's absence, averaging 15.1 points per game on 52% shooting from the field. He has slowed down a bit lately, but it's doubtful he'll go back to being a forgotten man. 

Photo: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports