The “golden opportunity” for Tyrese Maxey has arrived, but Nick Nurse is seeking more.

It appears that Tyrese Maxey’s breakthrough season is upon us. The guard for the Philadelphia 76ers has had an incredible 2023–24 campaign thus far, and he was a key component in the team’s opening victory of the year, a 114–107 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

After dicing up the Raptors with 34 points and seven assists, Maxey’s All-Star potential is apparent and he’s gaining greater chemistry with Joel Embiid. He’s doing a lot of things right to start off the season.

“He’s shooting the ball well and deep, creating space,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said in his postgame media availability. “He’s creating some contact finishing at the rim. Obviously…he’s getting his chances to get assists but he’s also taking care of the ball…So he did a good job, I thought, of organizing a little bit better tonight. I gotta watch the tape but he played great, played awesome.”

Maxey has started off his season with some incredible performances, achieving a feat only three other players have done in Sixers history. Despite starting off slowly in the opening quarter of each game so far this season, Maxey has been a nightmare to (try to) contain for opposing defenses. Being super fast and a great shooter is tough enough. Now that he’s changing up his speeds, using screens and making plays for others when defenses key in on him, defenses — good ones, at that — are being pushed to their limits.

With James Harden missing games as he ramps back up into playing shape and eventually after getting traded at some point, Maxey is being tasked with igniting more offense for the Sixers. Nurse, who witnessed a Maxey heater in Toronto last season when he scored a career-high 44 points, recognizes that now is the time for his budding star to keep his foot on the gas.