To the surprise of absolutely no one, the injury has just reigned terror on the Philadelphia 76ers anew. This time around, it zeroed in on Kelly Oubre Jr. as its latest victim, sending him to an indefinite pause due to an unfortunate LCL injury on his left knee. The condition is considered a rare one, but of course, it’s this franchise that now has to deal with it.
As insensitive as this may sound, this “fortunately” coincides with Paul George possibly making his season debut as early as their next game against the LA Clippers. While nothing is set in stone at this juncture, the nine-time All-Star is listed as questionable against his former team, so at worst, he should be back in the coming days.
Naturally, George will be eased back into action given that he is coming off a major injury which prompted him to undergo surgery. The coaching staff has been making a concerted effort with the medical staff to give their injury-prone players more legroom to manage their loads early on. However, in George’s case, the untimely injury to Oubre could make things more complicated on that end.
Kelly Oubre Jr.’s injury adds a ton of pressure for Paul George to lift the 76ers
Oubre has played very well to start the season, averaging nearly 17 points and five rebounds per game on almost 50 percent shooting from the field while draining just a hair under 35 percent from beyond the arc. George, who will now step into his shoes, will be relied on to put up those kind of numbers and then some.
Of course, Philly cannot possibly be content with George merely playing copycat to Oubre. As the more experienced and talented version of the latter, the team will heavily rely on him to do the things which the latter has consistently provided them with — perimeter defense and three-point shooting.
But that is where things can get tricky. Despite the added pressure, George will have limitations early on due to his long layoff from NBA basketball. He will most likely be tethered to a stern minutes restriction, and being a rhythm player, that could make life a lot tougher on him to find his groove on offense and gel with his teammates on defense.
That is the course that George will have to chart the moment he returns to the hardwood. The 76ers can afford to wait for him to regain his full form, but this team is clearly not one to be willing to be as patient as a saint.
That just shows how crucial the role Oubre will be leaving, and how much more George is expected to inject to the squad. Hopefully, he proves everyone who had already written him off wrong.