Sixers now have big shoes to fill in the absence of Kelly Oubre Jr.

Sixers’ new acquisitions with big shoes to fill in the absence of Kelly Oubre Jr.

With Kelly Oubre Jr. sidelined for the foreseeable future, it will be up to the other role players on this Sixers team to step up and fill the void. Let’s take a look at what we know and what is still to be determined with the Philadelphia 76ers depth chart and rotation.

What we know

While Oubre is sidelined, several players are vying to earn minutes in the rotation. 4 of these players are even newer to the team than Oubre is with his 8 games in a 76er uniform. On October 31st, the 76ers agreed to trade James Harden and PJ Tucker to the Los Angeles Clippers for a package including Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, and Marcus Morris Sr. In doing so, the Sixers were able to bolster their depth behind a starting lineup that has had success to start the season. Following the trade, Oubre was inserted into the starting lineup where he has been in his last 5 appearances. Through 8 games, Oubre is averaging over 16 points in 29 minutes played per contest.

What have we seen from the newcomers thus far?

For personal reasons, Batum joined the team a few days after Covington, Martin, and Morris Sr. Of the four newcomers both Batum and Covington have received the most playing time so far. Batum played 26 minutes against Boston and Detroit, and in 17 minutes against Washington, he knocked down 3 threes in his team debut.

In small samples, the 32-year-old Covington has showcased some flashes of the defensive ability that earned him All-Defensive honors during his 2017-18 season in Philadelphia. Though in limited opportunities, Covington has seen the floor in every game since arriving in Philadelphia.

Both KJ Martin and Marcus Morris Sr. have seen very limited action with the Sixers though that could be subject to change as the team is now in need of more contributions from the bench unit.