During the game against Atlanta earlier this March, Tyrese Maxey suffered a right pinkie injury and has missed 10 games so far. With only nine games remaining in the Philadelphia 76ers’ season, many are concerned about whether Maxey will make his return, especially since the Sixers are trying to secure a playoff spot.
When Will Tyrese Maxey Return for the 76ers?
On March 7, Maxey sustained a right pinkie tendon injury in the final seconds of the Sixers’ game against the Atlanta Hawks. The injury occurred when he collided with teammate Adem Bona.
Initial reports suggested that Maxey was likely to miss the remainder of the regular season and would return in time for either the play-in or the playoffs, depending on the 76ers’ placement.
However, according to recent reports, Maxey is expected to be re-evaluated sometime between March 29 and March 31.
“He’s working pretty hard. He’s getting some decent workouts in. He’s moving a lot. He is doing some workouts primarily left-handed. He has taken some shots right-handed. I believe he’s got another evaluation here coming up this weekend or early next week,” Nick Nurse said.
If the results are positive, the earliest possible return date for Maxey could be March 30, when the Sixers take on the Miami Heat.
Otherwise, he could also return at the start of April, when the Sixers take on the Washington Wizards.
Maxey’s return will be crucial as the Sixers soon enter the postseason. Co-stars Joel Embiid and Paul George made their return on Wednesday to destroy the Chicago Bulls, 157-137.
While it may seem like the Sixers are in good hands now that Embiid and George are back, it will still be essential to have Maxey on the roster as soon as possible, especially since Philadelphia is sitting in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with a 40-33 record.
Given their standing, the Sixers are in a very volatile position. They are 0.5 games behind the sixth-place Toronto Raptors (40-32) and 1 game behind the Hawks (41-32). But the Sixers are also only ahead of the eighth-place Orlando Magic (39-34) and ninth-place Charlotte Hornets (39-34) by 1 game.
Based on the statistics, it’s still anybody’s ball game in the East.
Maxey has been a force to be reckoned with all season long. He has averaged 29.0 points, 6.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game. His numbers are undoubtedly essential for the Sixers’ success.
With all that said, Embiid and George will need to brush off the court rust and hold down the fort until their co-star makes his return to hopefully help the Sixers come up with an immediate playoff berth rather than fighting for a chance at the postseason through the play-in.
