PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers did not have the makings of an impressively deep team throughout this past offseason. But after finally finding a trade to send James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers, the newcomers have fit right in and given Nick Nurse a new, refined rotation. Free-agent signings Kelly Oubre Jr. and Patrick Beverley, both signed to minimum deals, have firmly entrenched themselves as key contributors and fan favorites.
Oubre started the season coming off the bench for the Sixers, was elevated to the starting lineup after the trade and now comes off the bench after working his way back from a rib fracture. There’s no major focus for him on whether he starts or not. His focus, as he put it after the Sixers' pregame shootaround, is solely to “just go out there and hoop.”
“We're just playing with energy, continuously being professionals,” Oubre said. “It's not easy doing that — coming in when guys are warm and you have to come in there and keep the same pace, execute the same way as the starters. I think we're doing a really good job of that. Pat is leading the charge coming off the bench first. He's coming in, setting the tone for us and [we] go in there and follow suit.”
The Sixers' emphasis on playing aggressively on defense has empowered Oubre and others to make plays when they’re away from the ball. As a team, Philly ranks first in deflections and steals per game and sixth in blocks per game while doing a strong job of preventing three-point attempts. Only six teams allow a smaller frequency in threes than they do.
Oubre said that having Joel Embiid protecting the rim and hunting scoring opportunities in the open court provides reassurance for taking risks on defense. After spending the first eight seasons of his NBA career with four different teams, he feels right at home with the Sixers.
“It's just a place for dogs, honestly. It's a place for you to come and be hard-nosed but be a professional,” Oubre said. “Me and Pat are a lot the same. We operate on love but we also operate on just going to get it, get what we after. So I think that the city really appreciates that and we appreciate them because we're all one of a kind, so it's all love.”
Kendrick Perkins barking like a maniac to underscore how well the shorthanded Sixers competed with the Boston Celtics in a game last month seems even more pertinent now.
Toughness, hustle and a steadfast desire to win always resonate in Philly. Beverley's style of play has always been centered around physicality and lack of fear, instantly making him a guy Sixers fans love and wish had joined the team sooner. The veteran point guard has reciprocated the love right back, even taking a recent trip deep into the city during an off day.
Pat wanted to pull up and check out the Philly hoods pic.twitter.com/c89jHE0Os7
— Pat Bev Pod (@PatBevPod) December 16, 2023
In the locker room, Beverley's experience and ability to connect with teammates have been very helpful for the Sixers.
“Pat is a professional,” Oubre said. “He's been around. He's been on really good teams. He's competed at a high level and he knows exactly what it takes to win — and he backs up his talk. Although a lot of people know him for his antics and things like that, he's a professional. He's very well-spoken and he can articulate well. That leads to being a great leader.”
With a matchup with the Chicago Bulls on deck, Oubre and the Sixers will look to keep fine-tuning their game. The recent streak of significantly inferior opponents will end on Wednesday when the Minnesota Timberwolves come to town. For now, the focus is on, as Oubre puts it, “putting our foot on the gas from the jump ball and keeping it on the gas until the fourth-quarter horn blows.”
“It's just going out there and competing for 48 minutes,” the Sixers wing continued. “We're not front-runners, so obviously we will have adversity we have to face, so it's not gonna be like this all season long. But right now we just gotta keep getting better, keep handling it with grace and continue to stay professional and go out there and try to win every game.”
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