Kelly Oubre Jr. Providing Long Lost Element for Sixers
On Thursday night, the Philadelphia 76ers kicked off their regular season schedule against the Milwaukee Bucks. The primetime matchup delivered, as things ended up going down to the wire. Despite a hard-fought second half, the Sixers were unable to come away with the victory.
There were many things to take away from this neck-and-neck game, but one of the main standouts was the play of Kelly Oubre Jr. The veteran wing came to life off the bench, erupting for 27 points and connecting on five threes.
Looking at this performance, Oubre has a chance to give the Sixers something they haven't had in a long time. That being an unconscious scorer who can come in and give life off the bench on a nightly basis.
Too many times over the years have the Sixers coughed up games due to lack of bench production. In this game, Oubre's ability to come in and give a scoring punch for the second unit helped keep things within striking distance.
Throughout his career, Oubre has proven he can score in bunches. This level of production won't be expected every night, but the 27-year-old is coming off a season where he averaged 20 PPG. His desire to enter the game and start scoring should have a lasting impact over the course of the year.
Heading into this game, Oubre had a mindset of looking to prove his critics wrong. Following practice this week, he opened up on how hungry he was to get out there and show his value to his new team.
“I’m starving so I would say so, but that’s for give or take, right?” Oubre Jr. told reporters. “You got a lot of highs and lows in this sport and it’s about being consistent and figuring out that middle ground and that silver lining. I’m starving. I’m not gonna say too much about that, and I think a lot of people will see that.”
As far as starting the year off on the right foot goes, Oubre did that in stellar fashion. If he can continue to embrace being a microwave scorer off the bench, it'll give the Sixers an element they've long desired.
