Sixers discuss having Kelly Oubre Jr. return, adding to scary depth

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CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers have welcomed Kelly Oubre Jr. back to practice at full capacity as he returned from a rib fracture he suffered from being struck by a vehicle on Nov. 11. The Sixers are welcoming back a player who can put the ball in the basket, defend at a high level, and add athleticism to the roster. The Sixers began the season 7-1 with Oubre. They were 5-6 without him. Obviously, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey also missed time, which contributed to that 5-6 record, but Oubre is an important piece. “We felt it,” coach Nick Nurse said of Oubre’s absence. “I just always said he’s a little different than anybody we got with his athleticism, speed, attacking defensive capabilities and then he is able to provide some support from the 3-point line, too. So, yeah, I mean, we missed him.” Not only is Oubre a productive player on both ends of the floor, but he’s also a great teammate. The Sixers missed having him around the team, and he has looked good in practice. “It feels great to have him back,” Robert Covington said. “He’s brought a lot of intensity. He’s moving the ball well, making the right plays, like I said, it’s just great to have him back. He’s done a lot for us so at the end of the day, that’s a big piece that’s gonna make us that much more of a deep threat.” With the Sixers missing so many key pieces of late, Nurse has been able to see what he has in Marcus Morris Sr. and KJ Martin. With the return of Oubre and the other pieces on the roster getting more time to show what they can do, the Sixers have many players they can rely upon. “It’s scary,” Covington added. “Very scary. The way Nick has put us in a position to succeed. Everyone’s gonna be able to thrive with the way that we’re doing things and the way he’s implementing and trying to figure out lineups, the amount of guys and the amount of versatility we have is, like I said, very scary.” Nurse and the Sixers can now resume figuring out the rotations with a full complement of players. “That’s what we have an 82-game season for,” Covington finished. “Try to find out which rhythm works for different guys and which guys match up. We have so many different guys that do so many different things it’s just matching up who can work well and that’s gonna make us the most effective.” Coach Nick Nurse updates injured Sixers veteran Nic BatumSixers star Joel Embiid lands a spot on Forbes' 30 under 30 list for 2023Nick Nurse discusses play of KJ Martin, configuring Sixers' rotation
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Source: https://sixerswire.usatoday.com/2023/12 ... ary-depth/