Kelly Oubre’s 76ers Debut Concludes With Notable Achievement

The new-look Philadelphia 76ers got off to an intense start on Thursday night in their season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks. In a high-scoring battle, which featured two starting guards dueling it out in Damian Lillard and Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers also received a notable performance from their newly-signed veteran, Kelly Oubre Jr.

Coming off a career year with the Charlotte Hornets, Oubre has proven to the NBA that he’s a high-volume scoring threat. While his efficiency in Charlotte came into question throughout the 2022-2023 NBA season as Oubre knocked down just 32 percent of his threes and 43 percent of his shots overall, Oubre was still one in 50 players to average over 20, joining the likings of his new teammates Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and James Harden.

On Thursday, the Sixers got the complete scoring package from Oubre and more in his regular-season debut.

Right out of the gate, Oubre entered the matchup and drilled multiple threes. In seven minutes, he produced ten points. While he went quiet in the second quarter, knocking down one more three, Oubre’s performance wasn’t a tale of two different halves.

In the third quarter, the veteran picked up right where he left off, knocking down two of his four shots for six points in less than six minutes. Then, in the fourth quarter, Oubre capped off his night with some clutch shooting, getting the hot-hand treatment by taking the third-most shots while being the only Sixer to see the court for the entire final quarter.

By the end of the night, Oubre finished off his Sixers debut with an achievement that hasn’t been surpassed since 2009. With a 27-point scoring performance in the one-point loss against Milwaukee, Oubre scored the most points by a 76ers reserve in the team’s season opener, surpassing Marreese Speights, who collected 26 points off the bench in a 14-point loss against the Orlando Magic.

Oubre Providing Long Lost Element for Sixers

The most encouraging sign about Oubre’s high-scoring night was the consistency he brought to the table. Taking 11 shots from the field, Oubre missed just two of his attempts, one in the paint and a corner three. The rest of his shots, which included five from beyond the arc, were successful.

There’s still a lot of season left to be played before crowning Oubre as the steal of the offseason in the NBA for the 76ers. If the 27-year-old can perform at a similar level consistently throughout the season, it would be difficult not only to consider Oubre a steal for Philadelphia — but also a Sixth Man of the Year candidate.