Despite being a player who would undoubtedly bring energy and impressive perimeter defense on a nightly basis, Kelly Oubre Jr. a player that the Philadelphia 76ers fan base happily chased out of the building during the offseason. However, with a less prominent role in the offense, the dynamic forward has established himself as a reliable option from deep – something no 76ers spectator would have thought possible at the turn of the year.
Oubre Jr. became a victim of his own reliability throughout the 2024-2025 NBA season. As his teammates continued to fall like dominoes due to a ridiculous number of injuries, the 29-year-old refused to take a seat on the sidelines even as a refueling mission was in full swing in Philadelphia.
While a certain amount of gratitude should be directed towards the former Charlotte Hornets wing, his offensive ability left much to be desired as he was unfortunately slighted as the Sixers’ primary ball handler for large portions of the season. Finishing the year with a 29.3% three-point percentage is enough to explain the struggle that both the player and fans had to endure.
Oubre Jr. transforms his ability to score from deep
After criticizing both the media and 76ers fans in the offseason for the criticism he received for his shooting antics, Oubre has taken it upon himself to silence his doubters with a series of solid performances from deep.
So far this season, the Kansas graduate is shooting a career-high 40.7% from three-point range while recording six attempts per game from beyond the perimeter. Yes, Philadelphia may have only completed nine regular-season games, so there’s a chance this performance takes a spectacular nosedive. Still, the nature of this improvement is to be admired.
This uptick in effectiveness from deep can be attributed to several factors. Oubre Jr. may simply have realized that if he wants to participate in a successful championship push in the modern NBA era, he’ll have to bury open threes when franchise stars like Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid kick the ball out to him.
A second argument could lie at the level of responsibility he bears for the violation. Oubre was never assigned as a field general, nor was he brought in to swing the momentum in the 76ers’ favor when the opponent had a stranglehold on proceedings. Nevertheless, with injuries to almost the entire squad, this is exactly how his campaign went.
The development levels of Kelly Oubre’s three-point shooting have been a major factor in the improved dynamism and versatility of the Philadelphia 76ers’ offensive game plan. There’s no denying that if he continues to put up these numbers, while Maxey, Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe continue to dominate, the Sixers will be a formidable foe for any opponent.
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