After earning his first All-Star selection, the Philadelphia 76ers’ point guard Tyrese Maxey received recognition for his outstanding 2023-24 campaign. On Tuesday, Maxey was unveiled as the recipient of the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.
Maxey received 51 first-place votes and a total of 319 points from the panel of voters. Chicago Bulls’ Coby White came in second with 32 first-place votes and 305 total points, while Houston Rockets’ Alperen Sengun had 92 points.
After the 76ers traded James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers in the early 2023-24 season, Maxey was trusted with the starting point guard role and ended up delivering his career season. He averaged career-highs across the board, finishing the campaign with 25.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.0 steals.
“I have had to take different steps,” Maxey said after being presented with the award. “In the offseason, I didn’t know what the situation was going to be with James, so my thing was I have to work on pick and roll every day, working on passing, working on reads … those little things excite me the most, because I don’t think I couldn’t have made the plays I’m making this year in recent years.
The award for Most Improved Player is the first regular-season award presented for the 2023-24 season. In the following days, more awards will be handed out, including awards for Coach of the Year and Clutch player of the year.
