In the 2023-24 season, Tyrese Maxey upped his scoring tally from 20.3 points to 25.9 points, per game. His assists went up from 3.5 to 6.2, per game while his rebounding jumped from 2.9 to 3.7, per game. While the departure of James Harden was full of drama, Maxey benefited from being the primary ball handler, clinching the 2023-24 Most Improved Player Award. Despite such a remarkable improvement, Gilbert Arenas believed Maxey did not deserve the MIP award.
Advertisement
On ‘Gil’s Arena’, Arenas claimed that Coby White deserved the honor over the 76ers guard. Meanwhile, his co-host Kenyon Martin pitched that Maxey deserved the award because he kept the 76ers “afloat” when leading scorer Joel Embiid went down. However, Arenas wasn’t convinced and pointed out how the 2024 MIP couldn’t prevent the 76ers from falling out of the third seed.
To his point, without Embiid, the 76ers had 27 losses and 16 wins, per Stat Muse, and went from third to seventh seed. Apart from that, Arenas argued that the award shouldn’t account for team records and has to be viewed individually. He took out his notes and proved that White was robbed of the accolade. The 3x NBA All-Star rolled out cumulative points, assists, and rebounds jump to make his point,
“The worst plus from one year to the next year is Goran Dragic, he only had a +4.2 overall, he beat out Lance who had a +10 and Anthony Davis who had a +10.7. Maxey from last year to this year had a +9 and Coby White had a +13 so Coby is the only player who lost with that big of a gap. Most Improved is you, it has nothing to do with team record.”
However, this argument didn’t convince Martin who found Arenas’ “homework” incomplete. He accused the former Wizards guard of cherry-picking the data. Even though Maxey doesn’t seem a better option than White, the young guard has impressed with his ability to score and get his guys involved. Apart from that, he easily nails deep 3-pointers and has a quick first step to split the defenders. Amidst all this noise, the 76ers President Daryl Morey gave props to his young star.
Daryl Morey lauds the 2024 MIP
The 76ers President was over the moon after learning that the 23-year-old had won the honor. The major decision-maker hailed Maxey’s rise as an All-Star in his fourth year. For him, it is the fruits of his labor. It is just a stepping stone towards being the MVP. Therefore, Morey has high expectations from the high-scoring guard, who added 30+ in two of the first three games in the 76ers’ playoffs campaign. He said,
“The Most Improved Player award is a testament to your incredible work ethic including countless early mornings in the gym perfecting your craft. Your journey to All-Star in just your fourth season is inspirational to everyone who watches you play. Your dedication to continuous improvement and excellence has you on the path from MIP to MVP.”
While Arenas’ gripe is understandable, Maxey has earned huge recognition during the 2023-24 season. Even though he had a decent 2022-23 season, during the 2023-24 season, he unlocked a whole new repertoire. While White may be regarded as a viable candidate for 2024 MIP, his impact pales in comparison to the 76ers All-Star guard.
