Philadelphia 76ers Veteran Earns Credit for Recent Upswing

Nick Nurse recently credited Kelly Oubre for his recent performances with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Dec 20, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr (9) in action against the Charlotte Hornets in the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The opening to the season hasn't been ideal for Kelly Oubre Jr, as he has struggled to live up to the standards that he set during his first season with the Philadelphia 76ers.

In the opening month, Oubre struggled from the field, managing to average 12 points on 43 percent from the field while also securing five rebounds per game. While these numbers aren't horrendous, they weren't helping the team either, with the 29-year-old having a plus-minus of minus-6.1 during this stint.

These struggles persisted until the start of December, which was when a switch changed in Oubre's productivity in all facets. When it comes to the offensive end, Oubre is averaging 15 points on an efficient 57 percent shooting while also dishing out two assists per game.

Dec 21, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

One area that has seen an uptick is his defensive rebounds, with the Sixers guard averaging five per game, which included two nights of nine defensive boards against the Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers respectively.

Following the Sixers' win against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, Nick Nurse talked about Oubre's recent spell explaining that some of it can be attributed to his placement on the court.

"The decision making, I think he's getting it to places that are good places,” said Nurse, “he's getting it to more front of the rim type things, maybe not right in front of the rim, but places that he's on balance, springing up, getting clearance on those shots that he's driving on..."

Kelly Oubre Jr. has generally been awesome lately, and his passing has been good too.

He's making some nice reads out of his drives, setting guys up for easy finishes under the rim, and making some good quick reads as a screener/roller too. pic.twitter.com/UhwwntesC7

— Tom West (@TomWestNBA) December 22, 2024

While his basketball IQ received praise from Nurse, another area that the Sixers’ head coach pointed out was his preparedness to receive the ball.

"He looks like he's ready to shoot when the ball on the three point line comes out to him, he's already into his motion when it hits his hands and that's a good sign that his hands, his feet, and his head are all ready to go,” explained Nurse.