Sixers Head Coach Praises Veteran Kelly Oubre Jr.

Nick Nurse recently touched on the value that Kelly Oubre Jr brings to the Sixers.

Oct 10, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward/guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) shots a free throw against the Orlando Magic during the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Following Friday night's match against the Orlando Magic, the Philadelphia 76ers are well into their preseason schedule, which has given plenty of players a chance to showcase their talents for the 82-game campaign which lies ahead.

Mar 6, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) defends against Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) in the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

One of those players has been Kelly Oubre Jr, who returned to the Sixers after exercising his player option for the 2025-26 season. While last season proved to be more of the same for the ten-year veteran as he averaged 15.1 points on 47 percent shooting, his spot in the backcourt isn't as ironclad as it once was.

Apart from Oubre, players such as Justin Edwards, Paul George, VJ Edgecombe, Eric Gordon, and the recently re-signed Quentin Grimes are also gunning for time on the court.

What has Nick Nurse noticed about Oubre?

However, the work ethic and production of the 29-year-old haven't gone unnoticed by Sixers' head coach Nick Nurse, who talked about what Oubre brings to the team following Friday night's loss.

"We've always seen him as a hard-playing, competitive guy, he brings kind of an attitude to the game every night," Nurse explained to the media. "I think he's always got a tough assignment on D, he's always working at it."

To Nurse's point, Oubre has always been a handful for opposing teams on both ends of the court, averaging double-digit scoring numbers in the last five years of his career, as well as 1.2 steals per game.

Oct 10, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward/guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) dribbles in front of Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) during the first quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

When it comes to Friday night's match, in which the ten-year veteran put up 12 points on 42.9 percent shooting from the field, Nurse was impressed with Oubre's performance, preferring it over how he played for the Sixers' two matches in the Middle East as part of the NBA's Abu Dhabi Games.

"I thought he played pretty good tonight, I think he got in there and drew some fouls, he found a corner three, he worked hard..." the Sixers' head coach stated. "I thought he played better tonight than over in Abu Dhabi."

Oubre's 12 points were the joint second-highest production among Philadelphia's starting lineup, with Tyrese Maxey leading the way with 17 points, having made three shots from beyond the arc.

As for Oubre, this season is set to be an important one for his time in the City of Brotherly Love, given that the two-year deal he signed with the Sixers in the last offseason is set to run its course. Philadelphia will wrap up its preseason on October 17th with a match against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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