Worrying news emerged from Philadelphia on Saturday night, with Kelly Oubre Jr. having to be hospitalized after being struck by a vehicle near his home, as per NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
“Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. was a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle in Center City, Philadelphia tonight and is receiving treatment at a local hospital, a Sixers spokesman tells ESPN. Oubre Jr., is currently in stable condition.”
“Representatives from the team, including 76ers President Daryl Morey, are with Oubre Jr., at the hospital. He is expected to miss significant time due to his injuries, but those aren’t considered to be season-ending. Local authorities are investigating the incident.”
“Oubre Jr., was walking near his residence when struck, the spokesman said.”
Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. was a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle in Center City, Philadelphia tonight and is receiving treatment at a local hospital, a Sixers spokesman tells ESPN. Oubre Jr., is currently in stable condition. pic.twitter.com/Mqxjew1Opy
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 12, 2023
Oubre Jr., was walking near his residence when struck, the spokesman said.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 12, 2023
Things could have gone horribly wrong here but, fortunately, he is in stable condition, and I send prayers for a speedy recovery. While Oubre is set for a long spell on the sidelines, it appears he will be able to make a return to the court at some point this season, which is good to know. The incident is being investigated and more details should emerge with time.
Kelly Oubre Jr. Was In The Midst Of A Fine Season With The 76ers
While this incident would be quite unfortunate in any circumstance, what makes it just that little bit worse is how well Oubre had been playing over the last 12 months or so.
He had a career year with the Charlotte Hornets in 2022-23, averaging 20.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game, and had built on that in a bit of a lesser role with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 27-year-old was averaging 16.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game while shooting 50.0% from the field this season. He was one of the reasons why the 76ers are at the top of the Eastern Conference with a 7-1 record, despite James Harden’s departure. Now, even when he does return this season, you doubt he’s going be as effective as he’d been so far, which is a shame.
This Is A Big Blow For The 76ers
With Oubre now out of the picture for a while, expect the likes of Nicolas Batum, KJ Martin, and Marcus Morris to get extended minutes. None of the three can really provide the production that the 76ers were getting from Oubre, however, and this is a big blow.
Not only will they miss his scoring, but his defense as well, which had been surprisingly good. It’s a pity that something just always seems to go wrong for the 76ers every season.
The likes of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris will now have just that bit more of a load on them and it’s hard to see how this team holds on to the top spot in the Eastern Conference for much longer.
It was admirable how well they were playing without Harden, but there’s only so much a team can do. This injury might also accelerate any plans the 76ers might have had to make a big trade, with the assets they got from the Harden deal.
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