PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers are going to go as far as Joel Embiid and James Harden take them, but they are also going to need Tyrese Maxey to help the star duo take the team to the next level.

Maxey shined in a big way in Wednesday’s 113-112 preseason win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had 21 points on 9-for-11 shooting, and he knocked down all three 3s he took in 15:22 of playing time. He has been terrific to begin the preseason: He had 20 points on 6-for-8 shooting in the preseason opener.

As Maxey gets set for his third season, one can see the obvious work he puts in on the floor and he has caught the eye of veteran teammate Montrezl Harrell.

“Honestly, it’s a great testament to Maxey, man,” said Harrell. “That kid is a helluva player, man. He works his tail off in the offseason and it’s really carried over to his game and you can see it. So really, he’s just playing freely, enjoying himself, still learning as a young player, but when you’re out there with Joel Embiid, James Harden, Tobias Harris, you draw a lot of attention, man. So he’s able to just go out there and play freely and just be himself.”

Maxey is known for constantly being in the gym and wanting to better himself on a daily basis. As he continues to grow in this league, there are still some things he has to learn, but it’s obvious that he has the work ethic and the will to learn and grow in this league.

“We all know what a joy he is to be around so when he has success, it’s such a cool feeling because he’s so humble and he’s so giving, but his ability to make shots has so much improved,” added acting head coach Dave Joerger. “He’s put in so much work as is well reported so very happy with the work he’s put in and the ball to go in for him and he still knows he’s gonna continue to improve and that ability is gonna let him be in the lane and that’s the next level. People are gonna have to run at him and then find other people. So very impressive.”

Harrell has a lot of faith in Maxey’s game, as does the rest of the Sixers, because the kid just continues to work hard and has a want to improve and get better.

“Be able to wreak havoc on the defensive end of the floor and create with his speed and the many different things he brings to the floor for the other guys, but at the same time, he can do it himself,” Harrell added of Maxey. “So you really see a guy who’s worked on his game, gotten better, and really carried it over into his next year, really.”