The Philadelphia 76ers may have won their first game over the Boston Celtics on the road in a thrilling fashion thanks to the brilliance displayed by rookie standout VJ Edgecombe and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey, but one certain decision of theirs should not escape the public eye.
Nick Nurse, who already bared his starters to kick off the campaign before the first tip-off began, did not surprise anyone when he trotted out veteran forward Kelly Oubre Jr. to be a part of the opening group for their foremost outing, but the degree to which he and his coaching staff relied on the flashy vet should definitely raise some eyebrows.
The 10-year veteran ended up playing almost 34 minutes against the Celtics, finishing the night with 10 points, four rebounds, an assist and a block, but he definitely did not stand out. In fact, the 76ers were outscored by eight points when he was checked into the game.
A lot of fans pointed out that Nurse’s heavy reliance on Oubre is jarring, and it is certainly difficult to contest that position. People were already calling for the coaching staff to reduce his role this season, yet the championship coach remains adamant about giving him the star treatment when it comes to court time.
The 76ers are making a grave mistake by relying on Kelly Oubre Jr. so heavily
Oubre is not a bad player at all, but given his skill set, he is much better off when mobilized in smaller doses.
As part of the starting unit, he is being asked to fulfill multiple hats as some sort of a utility role player. Defensively, he was pegged to check the high-octane players of the opposing team. While that is a resolute role, the same cannot be said for his tasks on the offensive end of the floor.
Oubre, who has never been known for being a reliable floor spacer, shot the ball a bit better than his usual percentages. He drained two of his six three-point tries against the Celtics, although that is far from impressive given what the 76ers actually need.
But aside from his well-pronounced struggles from rainbow country, it is worth noting that he took all of his shots from three-point territory. That is such a waste of what he brings to the table, and it’s probably all because of his pigeonholed role on offense when he is in the starting unit.
Succinctly stated, the 76ers should reduce Oubre’s minutes and move him to the bench, where he will have much more liberty to showcase his shot creation skills. Even better, it would help address the team’s lack of scoring in the second unit. The coaching staff can hit two birds with one stone if they resort to this idea.