Even though the Philadelphia 76ers lost to the Boston Celtics on October 11, there were some positives, like Kelly Oubre Jr.’s performance. Oubre scored 18 points on six-for-eight shooting, which included hitting four three-pointers.
After the game, Tyrese Maxey singled out Oubre, though he did not shout out Oubre’s ability to score.
“Me and (De’Anthony Melton) was sitting on a bench today, and I was just saying what he brings defensively, we know that he brings offense,” Tyrese Maxey told reporters, per Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin. “He averaged 20 last year with Charlotte. So he shoots the ball well, he’s able to get to the cup, he’s cutting, he can do all those different things, and he can play off guys.”
Maxey then expressed optimism about how Oubre will fit next to Joel Embiid and James Harden as well as himself.
“I feel like when Joel comes back and James and whatever situation he’s got going on, he’s gonna be a really good guy to play with them,” Maxey said. “Then myself as well.”
Oubre could very well be one of the better bang-for-your-buck offseason additions. If he can prove himself to be effective on both ends of the floor, the Sixers found a diamond in the rough for their rotation,
Kelly Oubre Reveals Adjustment He Made
After the Sixers lost to the Celtics, Oubre revealed who he went to in his efforts to adjust his game for the better.
“I saw Drew Hanlen earlier,” he told reporters, per Carlin. “Honestly, he told me that my shoulders weren’t squared. I just made that adjustment, tried to shoot the easy ones, and that’s the key.”
Though Oubre has proven that he can score, having come off a season in which he averaged 20.2 points with the Charlotte Hornets, he’s never been the most efficient shooter. Oubre has a career effective field goal percentage of 50.6, which is not good.
However, surrounding an inefficient scorer with other proven scorers could very well prove to be for Oubre’s benefit. The highest he’s shot from distance over the course of a season is 35.2% during the 2018-19 season with the Phoenix Suns. Perhaps playing next to Embiid and Maxey (and maybe Harden?) could upp those efficiencies.
Whether it does or not, Oubre has demonstrated that he wants to improve his floor-spacing abilties.
Kelly Oubre Praises Sixers Fanbase
During Sixers Media Day, Oubre praised the Sixers fanbase for their passion for better or worse.
“Honestly, this team wins every year. Right? The fan base wants them to win more, but I come from teams where they have no hope. Like zero hope within the whole city, and that’s not this at all. So I appreciate the fan base for being hard on the team and wanting to see greatness because they deserve it,” Oubre said, per Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin.
Oubre will be under a bigger microscope now that he’s playing for the Sixers, knowing their aspirations as a team. The furthest he’s gone in the playoffs was in 2017 when he was with the Washington Wizards, but the Sixers are likely to count on him more than the Wizards did then.
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Tyrese Maxey Singles Out Kelly Oubre After Sixers Preseason Loss