PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers announced on Wednesday that Kelly Oubre Jr. will be re-evaluated in two weeks after suffering an LCL sprain in his left knee in a Nov. 14 loss to the Detroit Pistons. His absence will certainly be felt by the Sixers even with the return of Paul George from his own left knee injury.
In 12 games thus far, Oubre is averaging 16.8 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 49.7% from the floor and 34.3% from deep while averaging 34.8 minutes per game. He has been a reliable piece for coach Nick Nurse as somebody he can turn to for scoring and somebody who can take on the opposition’s best scorer as well. He’s a valuable player in that respect.
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“Kelly’s had a great start to the year, right?” Nurse stated. “Just kind of all over the place, and I think probably the biggest thing we’re missing is his tenacity on defense, and his willingness to take the challenge of a really good player quite often, most nights, for sure, right?”
Oubre is somebody who the Sixers could also go to for a quick bucket when they needed it. While George helped in that regard in Thursday’s win over the Milwaukee Bucks, they will need him to find it quickly and in short stints than what Oubre was able to give.
“I think he’s also got some scoring pop that can get us out of some scoring drought sometimes with some of his drives down the middle, left hand, pull-ups, and then some nights he got the 3-ball going, and that’s, like, the really good nights that he has from the scoring aspect,” Nurse finished on Oubre. “So we miss all that stuff. Heavy minute guy too, right?”
The Sixers will have two days off before hosting the Miami Heat on Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Nick Nurse reveals what 76ers will miss with Kelly Oubre Jr. sidelined