Why do we love sports? That\u2019s a big question that I won\u2019t attempt to fully answer here but I think a few things on the list would be the following: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Looking at that list, it\u2019s clear that we have a pretty good thing going right now in Philly sports with two players in particular: Jalen Hurts and Tyrese Maxey. In the midst of a largely forgettable, rebuilding Eagles season and a Sixers season marred by Ben Simmons and COVID, we have two young guys with personalities we love and whos\u2019 future as players is extremely ripe for debate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we sit here, in November of 2021, the range of outcomes for the careers of Hurts and Maxey are immense. Are they backups or key members of championship teams? Both came into their respective leagues with moderate expectations. The percentage of quarterbacks drafted after the 1st round and the percentage of NBA players drafted outside the lottery who become stars are very low. Both have clear weaknesses in their game. Some will always be there (Hurts\u2019 arm strength, Maxey\u2019s size), while others could potentially develop (Hurts\u2019 accuracy and pocket presence, Maxey\u2019s shooting and playmaking). Both have some clearly elite skills that are driving the excitement and the debate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s a little unusual is that both of these guys, even though they are second-year players who\u2019ve shown great potential, could pretty easily be gone from Philly by this time next year. The Eagles and Sixers have to help them grow and improve, but they also have to evaluate them meticulously and weigh the opportunity cost of keeping them around. The Sixers are about as publicly \u201copen for trade business\u201d as you will ever see a team be, with Simmons needing to be moved. Which begs the question: do we package Maxey with him to get the return we want? What targeted players are we willing to include Maxey for and which ones are we not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the Eagles, it\u2019s a little different because A) there\u2019s no Ben Simmons-like situation elsewhere on the roster (thank God) and B) the unique nature of the quarterback position. For the Sixers, if Maxey is \u201cpretty good\u201d that\u2019s fine. He\u2019ll be one useful player in the team as they move forward. But \u201cpretty good\u201d probably isn\u2019t good enough for Hurts. If they think his ceiling is \u201cpretty good\u201d, then they should (and will) look for alternatives to take his place in the near future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the meantime, us fans will go back and forth and up and down with our own evaluations of the players. Hurts has a bad game one week and it\u2019s \u201cwell, guess we need a quarterback.\u201d Maxey goes for 30 the next night and it\u2019s \u201cwe can\u2019t trade him!\u201d One day Hurts is dropping 30-yard bombs into a bucket for a score and the next he\u2019s missing easy crossing routes. One week Maxey looks like the running mate Jo needs and the next he\u2019s shooting 1-15 from 3. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It all sounds kind of stressful and annoying, and sometimes it will be. Especially because these are such likeable guys, we all hope this ends with Jalen Hurts hoisting a Lombardi Trophy and Tyrese Maxey as starting point guard on the first Sixers championship team in a generation. But no matter how it plays out for them in the long-term, they\u2019re offering reasons for hope, and debate, as we slog through some otherwise pretty dark days in Philly sports.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Why do we love sports? That\u2019s a big question that I won\u2019t attempt to fully answer here but I think a few things on the list would be the following: Looking at that list, it\u2019s clear that we have a … Continue reading