The Philadelphia 76ers enter the upcoming NBA season in a challenging position, with two of their biggest stars — Joel Embiid and Paul George — dealing with recurring injuries. While the uncertainty surrounding their health looms large, the Sixers’ best hope for consistency lies in the hands of rising star Tyrese Maxey. 76ers star named the toughest players to guard with LeBron James out off the list.
The NBA is stacked with offensive firepower these days, and during an appearance on The Deep 3 podcast, Maxey was asked to name the toughest players to guard at each position. While there’s always room for a surprise pick, the 76ers’ guard largely stuck with the league’s elite.
At point guard, Maxey went with Stephen Curry, whose shooting range and constant off-ball movement have tormented defenders for over a decade. For shooting guard, he selected Anthony Edwards, giving the young Minnesota Timberwolves star high praise for his explosive scoring ability and recent performances.
Maxey also made room for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the combo guard category, recognizing the Oklahoma City Thunder’s MVP-caliber star as one of the toughest covers in the game. At small forward, the 24-year-old picked Kevin Durant, noting the unique challenge of trying to defend a seven-footer with guard-like skills. “I may say KD,” Maxey said. “He’s 7-foot… You pressure him, you do all those things, and it’s like, okay, he shoots over me. This time he might miss, but the next time, he makes it.”
For power forward, Maxey chose Giannis Antetokounmpo. He recalled how his head coach, Nick Nurse, famously used the “Wall defense” during the Toronto Raptors’ 2019 championship run to slow Giannis down — a tactic that isn’t quite as effective anymore. “Nick Nurse has this wall defense that he created for Giannis, and sometimes you’re there, and Giannis really doesn’t care,” Maxey said. “Coach is like, ‘Are you in the wall?’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, coach, but the elbow kind of came through, and I thought about it.’”
At center, Maxey gave the nod to his own teammate, Joel Embiid. But if he had to pick someone else, he’d go with Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets’ two-time MVP. “If not Joel, I gotta say Jokic just because he is their offense,” Maxey explained. “When he’s off the court, their offense is totally different. When he gets the ball at the mid-post, and they’re cutting and doing all those different things, we gotta worry about them cutting, we gotta worry about them screening.”
“Then, we also gotta worry about him trying to back down whoever’s guarding him and shooting the jump hook,” Maxey continued. “You don’t want to trap him because he can pass, but you don’t want to not trap him because he can get 40. And we have a guy on our team who does the same stuff as well — and you better trap him because he will get 50.”
The list Maxey put together is a who’s who of NBA offensive superstars, players fully capable of dropping 40 or 50 points on any given night. It’s a collection of talent that defines the modern game’s offensive explosion.
Still, one name missing from his list stood out — LeBron James. Considering the Los Angeles Lakers’ legend is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in NBA history, leaving him off any “toughest to guard” list is rare and will no doubt spark conversation among fans.