Heading into the 2024-25 regular season, Kelly Oubre Jr. is one of the most fascinating case studies in the NBA. A talented scorer who has spent the past nine seasons putting up points in a hurry, Oubre will return to a Philadelphia 76ers team that has constructed a true Big Three.
As Oubre attempts to solidify his place as a key player on a championship hopeful, however, the definition of his success has become somewhat elusive.
Oubre has made a name for himself as a volume scorer who can make plays above the rim and get hot at any given moment. In 2023-24, he posted two 30-point games, and had 19 outings during which he scored at least 20.
As the 76ers build around the trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, however, the opportunity to play through cold streaks may not be as readily available.
Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse has options at his disposal, including trusted veterans and promising up-and-comers along the perimeter. That includes offseason acquisitions such as Eric Gordon, Caleb Martin, and Jared McCain, and former NBA champion Kyle Lowry.
The question is: How can Oubre ensure that he remains a key figure in the rotation and produce a successful season in 2024-25?
3. Making His Shots Count For More
A season ago, the 76ers had a star duo with an established third player who was willing to accept fewer shot attempts. There's no reason to think that George will be reluctant to make way for the hot hand, but he'll also be featured more prominently than Tobias Harris was on offense.
With this in mind, Oubre will need to take another step forward in terms of evolving from a volume scorer into an efficient and reliable option.
Oubre has never been the most efficient scorer in the NBA, but his willingness to shoot late in the shot clock is a burden-relieving strength. That permits at least some degree of understanding in terms of why his shooting numbers may not blow statisticians away.
In 2024-25, however, the 76ers will need Oubre to find a middle ground between his aggressive style of play and the increased level of efficiency they'll need from him—especially in an off-ball capacity.
A promising sign is that Oubre played alongside Deandre Ayton and Devin Booker in 2019-20, and averaged 18.7 points on .452/.352/.780 shooting. It's equally as intriguing to note that he's knocked down 35.3 percent of his three-point field goals during the 2024 preseason.
If Oubre can work without the ball and get into his rhythm without needing too many shots to do so, then he could see consistent playing time on a contender.
2. Stepping Up During Back-to-Backs
One of the primary challenges that the 76ers will face in 2024-25 will be the potentially regular absence of Embiid and George from the starting lineup. Embiid and Nurse told Tim Bontempos of ESPN that it'll be rare for Embiid and George to play in both games of a back-to-back—if it transpires at all.
Andre Drummond will likely shoulder the burden at center, but with two of the team's top three scorers potentially missing as many as 13 games, Oubre will need to step up.
After the trio of Embiid, George, and Maxey, Oubre is arguably the best scorer on the roster. He averaged 20.3 points per game as recently as the 2022-23 season and tallied 15.4 points per contest during the 2023-24 campaign with Philadelphia.
While Oubre will generally need to make his potentially more limited shot attempts count for more, they'll need him to shoulder a heavy burden when George is out.
Maxey and Oubre providing consistent scoring could be enough to help the 76ers navigate the back-to-backs they play in 2024-25. Other players can step up around them as needed, but with two proven scoring threats producing consistently, perhaps Philadelphia can play above-.500 basketball during those 13 games.
Some might argue that it's a small sample size to overemphasize, but considering it doesn't account for any other potential absences, it could prove essential to the 76ers' postseason seeding.
1. Defensive Consistency
One of the primary reasons the 76ers brought Oubre back was likely how impressed they were with his defense during the 2024 NBA Playoffs. Though not necessarily known for his defensive prowess, the 28-year-old was active and energetic on a big stage.
It was an intriguing development that seemed to support the belief that Oubre can excel as a two-way player in a system that will require players to go all-out on defense.
Oubre led all players during the 2024 NBA Playoffs with an average of 4.5 deflections per game. He was ninth in loose balls recovered on defense, and finished at No. 3 on the 76ers behind Joel Embiid and Nicolas Batum in shots contested.
That doesn't necessarily mean that Oubre was perfect on defense, but it was the type of effort that Philadelphia will need from him if he's going to help them contend.
Oubre's instant offense could prove invaluable off the bench or even in the starting lineup. The 76ers now have a Big Three with All-Star talent in spades, however, which means Oubre will need to make his name in areas other than scoring—the phase of the game in which Embiid, George, and Maxey all project to thrive.
If Oubre can become a consistent force on defense, then everything else about his game will be accentuated by how easily Nurse can justify playing him during the fourth quarter.