How Kelly Oubre Jr.'s Struggles Have Hurt Sixers Against Celtics in Playoffs

Kelly Oubre Jr. told reporters in late September that he dyed his hair red before the 2025-26 season to bring out the fire within him. However, he still has yet to ignite in the playoffs.

The 30-year-old has struggled to find his footing on both ends of the court throughout the Sixers’ Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series against the Boston Celtics. Oubre is averaging nine points per game on 38.3% shooting from the field and 15.8% from 3-point range in the postseason.

The forward’s troubles have plagued Philadelphia and caused fans to question his place in the starting lineup. But head coach Nick Nurse has faith in a turnaround.

“[Oubre has] had a very, very difficult defensive assignment for lots of minutes every game,” Nurse told reporters on Wednesday. “I think that's kind of where it starts with me.

"[Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum] are great and they're big and they're skilled. They're in lots of actions, lots of attempts. He's doing a really good job of just digging in and taking the challenge. Lot of minutes and a lot of reps because they got the ball a lot. So, from that standpoint, he's had a great series.”

Why Oubre is struggling

Perimeter defense is an aspect of Oubre’s game that is controversial amongst the Sixers community. Some value his activeness in passing lanes, while others want him to stay focused on his assignment.

At his best, Oubre is a defensive playmaker with a knack for creating turnovers and deflections. At his worst, he can’t stay in front of his man when the opposing team puts him in an action.

Tatum and Brown’s methodical play have brought out the worst in Oubre defensively. Both are shooting 50% from the field with Oubre as their closest defender, according to NBA.com. The duo have gotten to their spots within the arc and bested Oubre off the bounce.

Yes, Tatum and Brown are amongst the NBA’s finest players. But Oubre is in the starting five specifically to guard them. Philadelphia should expect better results.

Oubre’s choice to sag off his assignment to force a turnover was a collective issue that doomed the Sixers for the first four games of the series; Boston shot above 36% from beyond the arc in all three wins.

“I think everything else he can do,” Nurse continued. “If he has a game where he's hitting a few, obviously that's going to help us. I think he only had one front-of-the-rimmer [in Game 5]. Had another one he probably should've made, got there, came up short.

"But I still think he sprinkles in a couple of those, a couple of threes, and he's gonna have great games. But sometimes, some nights it's your night to do that and some nights it's not.

Oubre's role could change

Oubre’s offense simply has not been there in this series. His processing off the dribble resulted in poor shots at the rim, often leaving a skip pass to an open teammate from the perimeter on the table.

Oubre's 44.2 true shooting percentage in the playoffs is reflective of those struggles. His cold shooting from beyond and inability to backdoor cut, his best offensive trait, have made it difficult to play him for long stretches.

Nurse seemingly agreed as he closed the Sixers’ 113-97 Game 5 win with Quentin Grimes while Oubre did not play in the fourth quarter. Grimes, despite his faults, offers Philadelphia a more useful skill set in this series, which could make him more attractive in the starting lineup.

Regardless, the Sixers need Oubre at his best in Game 6 on Thursday to avoid elimination.

“But what we do need from him is what he's giving us, to kind of roll up his sleeves and go to work, be solid, play every possession,” Nurse said. “Even if those guys are rolling, which they seem to do at some point in the game, you just got to kind of short-memory it and have them get right back to work.”

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