The Philadelphia 76ers lived to fight for another day in Game 5, but it is not unreasonable for the front office to start thinking about life just in case they get booted out early. Free agency is already looming over them due to what is expected to entail a major roster turnover, and one vital decision they will have to make is the fate of Kelly Oubre Jr. in the open market.
Just a couple of weeks ago, it seemed like the script has already written itself for Oubre staying in Philly. However, given his struggles on the offensive end against the Boston Celtics in the first round, a lot of people seem to have reprised their divided stance on the veteran forward. Nick Nurse came to his defense, though, standing firm on the value he has given the team on the less glamorous end of the floor.
Through five games in their first-round playoff series against the Celtics, Oubre has drained just three of his 19 attempts from rainbow country, turning in a measly 15.8 percent success rate from that shot zone. Despite getting more than 33 minutes a night, he has only averaged nine points per outing on 38.3 percent shooting from the field overall.
76ers hint at the fate of Kelly Oubre Jr. by doubling down on his defensive impact
Well then, why does a player with such net negatives on the offensive end keep getting heavy minutes in the playoffs? As Nurse pointed out, it is because of the impact he has on the defensive end. Against the Celtics, Oubre has basically functioned as their go-to guy on D, tackling on highly difficult assignments to make life easier for the team's catalysts on the scoring department.
Oubre has guarded both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in this series, which is an insurmountable task for anyone. While he gets blown by at times, he has remained rock solid for the most part. No one can really stop those guys entirely, but Oubre has defended them as well as anyone on the roster could.
The eccentric forward's defensive acuity, which he has cultivated in Philly, will surely heavily factor into what the front office intends to do with him in free agency. He has been a vital piece for this ball club in the last three years, and with how the roster is constructed, the 76ers might not be turned off by his struggles on offense so long as he keeps being highly useful on the defensive end.
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