"There goes my 6th man of year bet'- Philadelphia Sixers filling James Harden void with Kelly Oubre has NBA fans mocking them
James Harden finally got his trade to the LA Clippers, which will lead to interesting roster adjustments, particularly with Kelly Oubre Jr. In the three seasons that Oubre Jr. has played for the Philadelphia 76ers, he has averaged 19.0 points (50.0% shooting, including 31.3% from 3-point range), 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game.
Recently, PHLY Sports' Kyle Neubeck reported that Kelly Oubre Jr. will be the team's starter while Nick Nurse and the coaching staff are in the middle of finalizing the starting lineup for the season.
With Oubre Jr. joining the Sixers' starting five, NBA fans posted their reactions on X.
"There goes my 6th man of the year bet."
From the reactions alone, the decision to put Kelly Oubre Jr. in the starting lineup has resulted in mixed opinions. While some fans are excited about the guard's fit, others are not too fond of the idea that the bench's scoring will be affected by the move.
Additionally, Neubeck also reported that 76ers coach Nick Nurse likes the guard's role as the second unit's go-to scorer.
From the report, it looks like Nurse and the coaching staff will wait and see how the rotations and chemistry will pan out throughout the season.
Kelly Oubre Jr. talks about the decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers
Following a career year with the Charlotte Hornets in the 2022-23 season, Oubre Jr. had some time to think about the next step in his career as the Hornets decided to move on from him.
In an article from USA Today Sports' "Sixers Wire" by Ky Carlin, the Sixers guard talked about what led to his decision to sign with Philadelphia:
"It was, obviously, late in the free agency period and I was really taking this offseason to kind of dial my life in and re-energize and refocus. Mr. [Daryl] Morey and coach Nick [Nurse], they were constantly trying to get in contact with me.
"At the end of the day when I sat down, and all my options, pretty much were what they were, I knew for a fact that I want to go somewhere where I'm wanted."
After a disappointing second-round exit, the 76ers are looking to make another deep playoff run with Joel Embiid leading the way and Nick Nurse as the head coach. The Sixers organization wanted to move in a different direction after seasons with Doc Rivers as the seat of head coach position.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is known as a reliable scorer, which will help the Philadelphia 76ers, especially now with James Harden out of the team's depth.