76ers’ Nick Nurse Offers Positive Update on Kelly Oubre on Monday

After getting a couple of days off following their Friday night loss against the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers returned to their practice facility on Monday morning for a session. As expected, the veteran forward Kelly Oubre was in the mix. Since the early days of November, Oubre’s been recovering from a fractured rib, which he suffered off the court. Initially, it was assumed Oubre would miss a significant chunk of the 2023-2024 NBA season as a result. Eventually, it was revealed that probably won’t be the case. Oubre has undergone re-evaluations on two occasions since he was ruled out week-to-week. Following his second check-up, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse noted that Oubre could be back on the floor within that week of recovery. And in the event Oubre didn’t return within the week, Nurse was hopeful it would only be a few extended days off before the sharpshooter’s back in the mix.

Last week, Oubre traveled with the Sixers for their two-game road trip. Paying a visit to the New Orleans Pelicans for their first stop, the Sixers were well aware of Oubre’s status as a non-participant for that matchup heading into the game. As for Philly’s matchup against the Boston Celtics last Friday, Nick Nurse left the door open for a possible return. However, Oubre was ruled out and was reportedly targeting a return to the court as early as their upcoming matchup against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. On Monday, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse confirmed the veteran is healthy and ready to roll. “Kelly was in… Kelly was in. He’ll be cleared and ready to play,” said Nick Nurse. Prior to his injury, Oubre appeared in eight games for the Sixers this season. After coming off the bench for the first three outings, Oubre saw a promotion to the starting lineup after the trade that sent PJ Tucker packing to join the Los Angeles Clippers.

As a starter, Oubre averaged 29 minutes on the court. He knocked down 50 percent of his field goals and drained 43 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. The veteran put up 15 points per game while coming down with six rebounds per outing. “We’ll probably fire him right back in there,” Nurse finished. “Let me see what it looks like getting him into Wednesday. I think that it could matter if there are other guys in or out. I would imagine if everybody’s healthy, he’s coming off the bench, and he coming probably pretty early. We’re gonna try and fire him right back in there.”