When the Philadelphia 76ers started the season on a four-game winning streak, fans knew something was different. One focal point was Philadelphia’s offensive shift to an offensive system that demands increased tempo and ball movement. Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe have thrived within this playstyle, but it finally spread throughout the entire roster against the Brooklyn Nets.
Philadelphia (5-1) trounced Brooklyn (0-6) 129-105 at Barclays Center on Sunday night. In a game without Embiid, Paul George, and Jared McCain, the 76ers displayed their revamped offense against a lesser opponent. Philadelphia received key offensive contributions from its role players in Kelly Oubre Jr, Quentin Grimes, and Trendon Watford.
Kelly Oubre Jr. continues to flow
Amidst the madness of “VJ Maxx’ and Embiid’s return, Oubre’s convincing start to the year has gotten lost in the fire of success. He led all scorers with 29 points on 66.3% true-shooting, three rebounds, and two stocks (steals and blocks). Oubre has now averaged 21.4 points in his last five games.
Much of his early success has stemmed from his willingness to play within the flow of the 76ers’ offense. Earlier in his career, Oubre tended to force action off the dribble en route to contested shots against unfavorable coverages. Now, he’s making timely back-cuts and quick decisions off the point-of-attack, which have yielded him efficient shots. Not to mention, he is now shooting 44.4% from beyond the arc on 5.4 attempts per game this season.
Quentin Grimes the point guard
Grimes poured in a career-best 13 assists alongside 22 points on 70.3% true-shooting and seven rebounds. Nick Nurse has relied on Grimes as a reserve scorer, which is a role he has excelled in so far. He has impressed as a dynamic scorer, finding his spots operating on and off the ball, but playmaking was something he struggled to manage consistently before tonight.
With Jared McCain yet to debut, Grimes shouldered the burden of being one of Philadelphia’s primary creators and has looked stretched too thin at times. However, he cleanly steered the ship on various sets and read the floor well in transition, which is exactly what the 76ers have strived to do early on.
Welcome Trendon Watford
Watford recorded just two points in his first two games, but he cemented himself tonight with 16 points on 77.8% shooting from the field. The 24-year-old also totaled nine rebounds and seven assists. His versatility at power forward made Philadelphia’s acquiring him so intriguing and he proved optimists correct.
Watford smoothly initiated many actions and made high IQ decisions with and without the ball. He impressively exploited Brooklyn’s defense by detecting help rotations to create advantages for teammates and made the correct decisions when faced with single coverage. When McCain and George return, Philadelphia will have much offensive variety.
The 76ers will stay on the road to face the Chicago Bulls (5-0) on November 4th at 8 p.m. EST.