Sixers Bell Ringer: Tyrese Maxey, Guerschon Yabusele nearly led Sixers to thrilling win in Paul George’s debut

Sixes Bell Ringers regular season standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 2
Jared McCain – 1st
Kelly Oubre, Jr. – 1
Guerschon Yabusele – 1

You were almost rewarded if you stayed up late for this one.

The visitors gave a very good Suns team all they could handle, but Kevin Durant cooked and the Sixers’ offense stalled in crunch time in a 118-116 loss Monday night in Paul George’s debut.

There was clear rust from George early on, but his presence alone made a difference from the opening tip. His gravity opened up space for every other Sixer on the floor, especially Tyrese Maxey. It looked like a functional NBA offense.

Early on, Kyle Lowry and Guerschon Yabusele led the way. They have been the Sixers’ two best three-point shooters in the young season, as we all predicted. As a team, the Sixers made 20 threes a night, no small feat considering how poorly they’ve shot it this season.

A big concern is the play of Andre Drummond. The veteran center battled mightily all night, turning the ball over five times. Nick Nurse rode Yabusele most of the night – and was rewarded for that decision.

Ultimately, the Sixers’ offense couldn’t look good during crunch time. A Yabusele dunk on a layup at the 3:41 mark was their final field goal. That’s to be expected with a group with so many new pieces.

Durant had no such problems, taking the game down the stretch and hitting a game-winning layup with 24 seconds left. George was able to shake loose to get a decent look at a long deuce, but the ball hit out. Maxey got out of a last ditch three, but it was long.

The Sixers’ West Coast slate continues Wednesday when they take on the Clippers as several players battle for a rematch. For now, let’s get to Bell Ringer.

Tyrese Maxey: 32 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images

It has been a tough start to the season for Maxey. He had gotten into a rhythm offensively over the past three games, but it’s still been a rough ride with no other shot creators for defenses to fear out there. It doesn’t seem like a coincidence that George’s debut marked Maxey’s most effective game of the season.

Two things stood out about Maxey’s game Monday: his three-ball and his mid-range game.

He was 6-of-15 from deep on the night, with several of those looks being his cleanest all season. Playing alongside George, Yabusele and Kyle Lowry created advantages all night long.

Although this beautiful step-back he created mostly on his own (with a little help from Yabusele).

Maxey has talked about an emphasis on the mid-range game and not challenging shot blockers at the rim as often. Monday was a strong example of how effectively he can do that. This and-1 against KD should feel good.

Don’t let it sway your decision, but it was also Maxey’s birthday. The electrical guard was 24 years old.

Guerschon Yabusele: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block

Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images

What a find Yabusele has been.

With how bad Drummond looked, this could have been a long night if Yabusele didn’t have a solid night. He did that and then some. The Frenchman was a revelation on Monday, filling the stat sheet and continuing to hit threes.

When Yabusele was drafted, some dubbed him the “French Draymond” because of his strong frame and versatile game. Even our own Seth Gupwell took to calling him “Draymond Verte” in a recent article. Yabusele continues to show his basketball IQ and versatility on both ends.

The biggest difference from his first NBA stint is how well he shoots the three ball. After going 5-of-11 vs. Suns, Yabusele is 11-of-28 from deep on the young season. If he can continue to give the Sixers strong small-ball five minutes while stretching the floor, he could be a serious weapon.

And after burning Phoenix so many times from beyond the arc, he was able to beat Jusuf Nurkic on this throw and finish with a strong dunk.

Unfortunately, that would be the Sixers’ last field goal.

But what a night for Yabusele, who set career highs in points, assists and rebounds. Even with Joel Embiid returning, Yabusele looks like he could play a huge role.

Paul George: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal

Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images

Admittedly, it wasn’t the greatest debut for George. He looked like a guy who hadn’t played a game yet this season, committing seven turnovers and shooting 4-of-14 from the field and 1-of-7 from three. He also missed a last-second jumper that would have tied the game. He admitted to reporters after the game that he didn’t realize the Sixers were down two or he would have gone for the three and the win instead of a long two.

The encouraging thing is how much better everything looked with him in the lineup. The Sixers recorded 27 assists on 40 made shots, by far a season high for Dimes. He was also big defensively as the Sixers began to take over the game in the fourth quarter.

And when Embiid comes back, expect more shots like his first bucket as a Sixer.