{"id":111270,"date":"2024-12-09T12:24:47","date_gmt":"2024-12-09T17:24:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=111270"},"modified":"2024-12-09T21:00:07","modified_gmt":"2024-12-10T02:00:07","slug":"76ers-turn-to-familiar-talent-to-fix-lineup-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/09\/76ers-turn-to-familiar-talent-to-fix-lineup-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"76ers Turn to Familiar Talent To Fix Lineup Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Philadelphia 76ers<\/a> entered the 2024-25 season under a storm cloud. Injuries<\/a> to two<\/a> of their \u201cbig three\u201d disrupted early momentum. The team quickly spiraled<\/a>, losing 12 of their first 14 games. Adding to the chaos, a contentious<\/a> team meeting and a heated exchange between Joel Embiid<\/a> and a reporter captured headlines. These off-court<\/a> distractions compounded on-court struggles, leaving the team in turmoil. Head coach Nick Nurse<\/a> made a bold adjustment. He moved Kelly Oubre Jr.<\/a> into the starting lineup, and the results have been encouraging. Since this change, the 76ers<\/a> have gone 5-3, including wins in four of their last five games.<\/p>\n

76ers Turn to Kelly Oubre Jr to Fix Lineup Issues<\/h2>\n

Oubre\u2019s History with the 76ers<\/h3>\n

76ers fans know Oubre\u2019s capabilities. Last season, he stepped up significantly when Embiid missed games. In 37 games without Embiid, Oubre\u2019s averages<\/a> rose to 17.1 points and 5.4 rebounds, compared to 13.4<\/a> points and 4.5 rebounds in games with Embiid. This history makes Nurse\u2019s decision less surprising. Oubre thrives when given more responsibility.<\/p>\n

Impact on the Team<\/h3>\n

The 76ers\u2019 performance has transformed since Oubre joined the starting five. Over the first 14 games, their offense was abysmal. They scored 103.9<\/a> points per game and posted an offensive rating of 106.0. Defensively, they allowed 112.6 points per game, with a defensive rating of 114.9.<\/p>\n

Since Oubre\u2019s promotion, the team has become more efficient and cohesive. Over the last eight games, the 76ers are averaging<\/a> 107.5 points per game, with an improved offensive rating of 111.0. On defense, they\u2019ve tightened up, allowing just 105.6 points per game and achieving a defensive rating of 109.0.<\/p>\n

Oubre\u2019s Individual Numbers<\/h3>\n

Oubre has delivered consistently in his new role. Over the last eight games, he has averaged<\/a> 12.8 points and 6.4 rebounds. His shooting has improved significantly, with splits of 51.3% from the field, 40.0% from three, and 71.4% from the free-throw line. His true shooting percentage of 62.1% highlights his offensive efficiency.<\/p>\n

On defense, Oubre has been disruptive. His 2.8 combined steals and blocks per game over the last eight (1.9 steals, 0.9 blocks) lead the team. This defensive activity has been a key factor in the 76ers\u2019 improvement. By comparison, Oubre\u2019s production in the first 14<\/a> games was less impressive. He averaged 12.9 points and 4.8 rebounds on shooting splits of 41.3\/27.4\/76.5. His struggles in a bench role for three games was evident.<\/p>\n

Advanced Stats Paint a Clear Picture<\/h3>\n

Oubre\u2019s impact is even more apparent in advanced metrics. According to Cleaning the Glass, Oubre\u2019s +1.7<\/a> on\/off difference contributes to an expected four additional wins. He has reduced opponents\u2019 scoring by 1.9 points per possession, placing him in the 63rd percentile league-wide.<\/p>\n

Perhaps most notably, Oubre has excelled on the glass. His opponents\u2019 offensive rebounding rate ranks in the 99th percentile. This strength is critical for a team that has struggled with Embiid\u2019s reduced mobility affecting his rebounding.<\/p>\n

Kelly Oubre Jr Presents a Lineup Solution Moving Forward<\/h3>\n

Oubre has proven to be more than a temporary fix. His defensive intensity and offensive efficiency have sparked the 76ers’ turnaround. While injuries and turmoil defined the team\u2019s early struggles, Kelly Oubre\u2019s insertion into the starting lineup has steadied<\/a> the ship. If the 76ers hope to salvage their season, they\u2019ll need Oubre to continue delivering in his elevated role.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Philadelphia 76ers entered the 2024-25 season under a storm cloud. Injuries to two of their \u201cbig three\u201d disrupted early momentum. The team quickly spiraled, losing 12 of their first 14 games. Adding to the chaos, a contentious team meeting and a heated exchange between Joel Embiid and a reporter captured headlines. These off-court distractions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,13],"tags":[4945,49979,1890,797,267,1315,1171,4745,1612],"class_list":["post-111270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-76ers","tag-2023-2024-season","tag-2024-25-nba-season","tag-caleb-martin","tag-guerschon-yabusele","tag-joel-embiid","tag-kelly-oubre-jr","tag-kenyon-martin","tag-nba-injuries","tag-nick-nurse"],"modified_by":"Kenny Kluska","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111270"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111270\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":111412,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111270\/revisions\/111412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}