The Sixer Sense
Fansided

NBA Preseason Roundtable: Ranking the Philadelphia 76ers Roster

By Jonathan Geib

Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey, James Harden, Joel Embiid, 76ers (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey, James Harden, Joel Embiid, 76ers (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
10 of 15
Next
Philadelphia 76ers, Kelly Oubre Jr.
Philadelphia 76ers, Kelly Oubre Jr. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

6. Kelly Oubre Jr. (written by Will Kofron)

Coming off a season in which he averaged over twenty points a game as a long, athletic wing in
the prime of his career. Some were wondering why Kelly Oubre was a free agent for so long.
There are a few reasons for this.

For starters, one can make the argument he is the worst passer in the NBA. It is not just that he
is bad at it, but Oubre refuses to pass the ball. He is talented, but an absolute ball-stopper that
will certainly drive Sixers fans wild.

Despite all of this, he can be tremendously valuable to the Sixers. While not an incredibly
efficient three-point shooter, he shoots at a high volume, something almost nobody on this team
does. He will absolutely bail this Sixers offense out at times this season with his quick trigger.
While he is not quite James Harden or Joel Embiid when it comes to drawing contact and
getting to the free throw line.

Oubre is proficient at it, and like the shooting, it could certainly bail the offense out when it gets stagnant toward the end of the shot clock. These are skills one would prefer stars to have since the offense will not be built around Oubre, but it can still be a valuable skill for a role player to have, especially given how bad Tobias Harris is with this same skill.

Oubre is the most athletic wing player on this Sixers roster.

Danuel House is a borderline NBA player and Oubre is essentially a more talented version. Nick Nurse has thrived on developing long athletes in Toronto like Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes. Oubre is a bit later in his career for that type of development to happen, but he has the skill set that fills that void and could be crucial for Nick Nurse.

Kelly Oubre has shown flashes on the defensive end, though he would not be classified as a
great defender. He has the athleticism and ability, he just needs to do it more consistently.
Given that his role will be extremely different from what he was in Charlotte, it is not
unreasonable to think he could change how he goes about the game and thrive on that end.
Oubre is a wildcard and may be better on paper than he is on the actual court, but with
a team devoid of this type of talent, he could be an essential piece for this team.