Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said earlier this week that forward Kelly Oubre Jr., who has been sidelined since November 14 due to a sprained left knee, could return to action during the team’s current road trip. That trip will wrap up on Saturday in New York, and Oubre’s chances of playing against the Knicks may hinge on whether he can take part in a five-on-five scrimmage on Friday, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Oubre participated in a three-on-three scrimmage on Monday and a four-on-four session on Wednesday, Pompey notes. If he plays five-on-five and his body responds well, his return should be imminent, though the 30-year-old declined to speculate on that subject, indicating he’s leaving the decision up to the experts.
“I’m just going off what the trainers and the docs say,” Oubre said. “So for me, I don’t feel any pain, any shortness after workouts, and things like that, which is a good sign. So I take that as a positive and just continue to build from there and get stronger. But I’m leaving it to the docs and the trainers.”
While the 76ers have been hit hard by injuries over the past year-and-a-half, they’re close to getting fully healthy, with both Oubre and Trendon Watford (adductor) in the final stage of their respective recovery processes.
Here’s more on the Sixers:
- Even when Oubre returns, Nurse says he envisions Paul George “mostly” as a three, according to Pompey. So who will handle the primary power forward duties? Nurse suggested he may take a committee approach to the position. “I think it’s Paul. I think it’s (Dominick) Barlow. Could be a little Oubre. Could be a little (Adem) Bona,” the Sixers’ coach said. “But I think it just depends on who we’re playing. Hopefully, we can be versatile enough to figure out what we are doing in all those different lineups. That’s what’s going to take some time.”
- Quentin Grimes averaged 11.8 shot attempts per game in his first 24 outings of the season, but that numbers has dipped to 7.5 per game in his past six contests. As long as Joel Embiid, George, and Tyrese Maxey are healthy and available, that trend may continue, but Grimes can continue to provide value with his defensive effort and by making the most of the opportunities he does get on offense, Pompey writes for The Inquirer. “He’s kind of a good wild card for us,” Maxey said of Grimes. “He can get hot. He can make threes. He can drive the ball. He can play defensively, too. That’s what’s really good for us. He can play with a lot of lineups too.”
- While Embiid’s offensive production has increased as of late – he has averaged 29.2 points per game in his past six starts – the former MVP says he believes his improving health is more evident on the other end of the court, per Pompey. “Physically, where I felt most (like myself) is defensively,” Embiid explained. “I’m getting back to that level of (protecting the rim), blocking shots and being that defensive presence.”
They will never go deep in the playoffs with Embiid.