The start of the season for the Philadelphia 76ers couldn’t have gone much worse than it has in the first 17 games. The team stumbled out of the gate, hampered by injuries and inconsistencies across the board. There are many players struggling right now, but Kelly Oubre Jr. seems to be doing so more than most.
Oubre Jr. resigned with Philly this offseason expecting to be an integral part of a championship team and to play a role similar to what was expected of him when he signed last season. He was thrust into a more important role than his initial bench designation once James Harden demanded a trade and Tobias Harris dwindled.
As the season went on, relying on Oubre every single night proved to stretch the athletic forward too thin. With injuries playing a major part in the start of this season, Oubre has been thrust back into an expanded role and has not performed well. He has had a noticeable dip in his scoring average and overall impact on the court.
Oubre Jr’s scoring woes
Oubre Jr’s scoring was always likely to dip this season after the signing of Paul George but with the Sixers’ collection of stars in and out of the lineup due to various injuries, he has been asked to score more. He’s scoring 12.8 points per game, down from 15.4 points per game last season. He is shooting just 26.1 percent from three-point range, which is a career low.
Due to his inconsistency, he hasn’t been on the court as much in the teams’ last few games as they try to figure out the rotation that will jump start this team to get some wins. His defense has been solid but still gives up too many and-one opportunities with silly fouls or block attempts when the defender is assured, they will score.
Opportunity amidst adversity
Despite these struggles, there have been moments where Oubre has shown flashes of his potential, displaying his athleticism and knack for going strong to the rim. With key players like Paul George missing games due to injuries, Oubre has occasionally stepped up, albeit inconsistently. He needs to take advantage of these opportunities to remind the coaching staff of his capabilities, even though sustaining it has been challenging. It’s a long season, and Oubre has the ability to help this team turn their season around.
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
