Can Kelly Oubre Jr. be 3-and-D player the Sixers need off the bench?
CAMDEN, N.J.–The Philadelphia 76ers were able to make a solid pickup late in free agency when they brought in Kelly Oubre Jr. on a 1-year deal. Oubre Jr. averaged 20.3 points for the Charlotte Hornets in the 2022-23 season and he has shown off his skill for the Sixers in the preseason.
In Wednesday’s preseason loss to the Boston Celtics, Oubre Jr. poured in 18 points on 6-for-8 shooting and he drilled four triples, but it was his defense that caught the eye of his team.
After the loss, Tyrese Maxey gave a lot of love to Oubre Jr.’s defensive ability. That defensive work combined with his 3-point shooting could make him the 3-and-D player Philadelphia needs off the bench.
“He certainly has a want to,” coach Nick Nurse said of Oubre Jr.’s defense. “He likes to be aggressive and he’s got some athleticism and some length. He’s got a fight in him and that’s a really good starting point for sure. Now it’s just getting him up to speed with the schemes and making sure we’re executing some of those things solidly.”
Oubre Jr. can be a bit out of control on the defensive end, but at the end of the day, he is a plus to have on the floor. The Sixers now are just looking to rein him in a bit and be sure that he is playing a more steady game than he has in the past to help Philadelphia move forward.
“Keep the aggression, keep the feistiness, keep all that stuff,” Nurse added. “Then keep dialing a little bit more to solid so you’re on the same page with the other four guys out there.”
Oubre Jr. is not a great 3-point shooter (33% for his career), but if he can harness his shooting a bit, it would be a big help. After the loss on Wednesday, he mentioned he was working with trainer Drew Hanlen who told him to square his shoulders more which then led to his success. There is a lot of potential for him to be an important piece to this Sixers team as they head into the 2023-24 season.
