Kelly Oubre Jr. has been an unsung hero for the Philadelphia 76ers. Unfortunately for both him and the Bears, he’ll be sidelined for at least two weeks due to a knee injury. The 29-year-old forward sustained a hyperextension of his left knee in last Friday’s game against Detroit. Along the way, doctors misdiagnosed him after the game, qualifying it instead as a sprained ligament. The 76ers announced the injury just before their game with the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
Oubre has been one of the 76ers’ biggest surprises this season, starting all 12 games to begin the year. During that stretch, he has averaged 16.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in approximately 34.8 minutes of play per game. His ability both to shoot and to attack off the dribble made him a lethal weapon in the team’s offensive game plan.
Oubre’s injury is just the latest obstacle for the 76ers to overcome. They have been dealing with a long injury list. Star center Joel Embiid is out for the foreseeable future after missing the last four games due to knee woes. This lack of leadership is deeply troubling given the poor performance of the team in these dark days.
Moving forward without Oubre, the team is already looking to the future without him. In a fortnight’s time, they will re-assess his condition and his progress towards recovery. The absence of both Oubre and Embiid could significantly impact the 76ers’ performance in upcoming games, as they look to maintain their competitive edge in the league.
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