Kelly Oubre’s Making Progress, but 76ers Remain Patient With Injury

The 76ers aren't rushing the return of Kelly Oubre.
Kelly Oubre’s Making Progress, but 76ers Remain Patient With Injury
Kelly Oubre’s Making Progress, but 76ers Remain Patient With Injury /
In this story:

When the Philadelphia 76ers initially learned about the off-court injury Kelly Oubre suffered earlier this month, there was an assumption that he could miss a significant amount of time. After Oubre received his official diagnosis of a fractured rib, it changed the narrative.

The Sixers weren’t able to put an official timeline on Oubre’s return, but the initial plan was to have him re-evaluated within a week of the diagnosis. The veteran wing was able to participate in some light workouts at the practice facility at the start of his recovery phase.

Last week, the Sixers had Oubre back on the floor and participating in solo workouts. Considering he wasn’t able to participate in any contact drills, Oubre was issued another one-week timeline before a re-evaluation. When Sixers head coach Nick Nurse addressed the state of Oubre’s injury, he left the door open for a possible return sometime this week.

Ahead of Monday night’s blowout victory against the Los Angeles Lakers, Nurse hinted that Oubre was still days away from his return to the lineup. Fortunately, the veteran was around the team this week and even participated in practice in a limited capacity on Tuesday, according to reports.

Will he get the nod to play against the New Orleans Pelicans? Nurse was sure that won’t be the case. As for Friday’s game against the Boston Celtics, he won’t rule that out.

The Sixers’ November 10 matchup against the Detroit Pistons was the last time Oubre took the floor. At the time, he was participating in his eighth-straight game, picking up his fifth start with the 76ers. In 26 minutes of action, Oubre attempted just nine shots. It was one of his quieter nights, as he scored eight points while coming down with eight rebounds.

Monday’s win over the Lakers marked the ninth straight game Oubre missed. As much as the Sixers could use the extra boost from the veteran wing, who was thriving in his role prior to his setback, the Sixers are logically remaining patient with his timeline. 

Oubre will make his way back out on the floor much sooner than expected. The hope is that he’s back within days of his second re-evaluation, as Nurse noted last week. If not, the extended timeline shouldn’t stretch too far. 


Published
Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA