Kelly Oubre Jr. is determined to ‘bring the swag back’ after the Sixers underachieved across the board
He’s determined to be the player who brought excitement and quickly turned into a Philly fan favorite during the 2023-24 season.
Call it “Operation Swag.”
Kelly Oubre Jr. was not himself this season, and he knows it. Going forward, he’s determined to be the player who brought excitement and quickly turned into a 76ers fan favorite during the 2023-24 season.
“I’m getting back to myself,” Oubre said. “I’m bringing the swag back, and all I know is that I’ll come back better than I was this year. I’m going to Year 11 in my career. So it’s a blessing. I’m blessed to still be here.
“But at the end of the day, man, I’m not satisfied with the way I’m perceived by you guys, fans, for what I do bring to the NBA. So tsunami’s back.”
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There was not much fun to be had for the Sixers this season. The team underachieved and several players, including Oubre, were hurt.
Oubre closed his season with right knee problems. He missed the final 17 games while dealing with tendinosis, bruises, and a hyperextension. Oubre experienced discomfort in his knee when he started to ramp up the recovery process.
He also had a hard time coping with the Sixers’ lackluster season, which ended with the league’s fifth-worst record at 24-58. Originally favored to contend for an NBA title, they eventually resorted to tanking and lost 31 of the last 36 games.
“I mean, this game, what I’ve learned over my 10 years in this league is that it’s like 50% physical, 50% mental,” Oubre said. “So finding that balance between the two is what makes it very professional. No matter what sports you play, and for me and for us, this team, it’s been a really hard teeter-totter throughout the whole year of balancing those because once your mind goes, your body goes as well.
“But at the end of the day, man, I think we’re all resilient. We’re all very strong, and I kept it together. We kept it together as best as we possibly could in the situation that we’re in.”
The 6-foot-8, 203-pound swingman sounded eager to get back on the court when he shared his offseason plans: “Take some time with my family, of course. Just get my mind back centered and then just get right to work.”
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He feels pretty fresh after sitting out since March 12.
“And I feel like that was that time I got off my legs,” he said. “So I’ll just continue my strength conditioning program. Then as soon as I feel ready, I’m hitting the gym and I’m going to just work on my craft.”
Oubre averaged 15.1 points and 6.1 rebounds, and his 1.5 steals were a career high. However, his three-point shooting (29.3%) was the second-worst of his career.
Improving upon that is a priority this offseason.
“But that comes from … I had surgery on my thumb … back in my tenure in Charlotte,” he said. “It’s just kind of getting into the nuances and the disciplines of just the recovery aspect of tendons back together and stuff like that.
“It’s been a struggle for me. But at the end of the day, I do have things set up to where I’ll see a hand therapist, and I’ll get that range of motion back, just my confidence up, get a whole lot of reps, and I feel like I’ll be better off. But, yeah, that’s definitely a focal point.”
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In addition to working on his shooting, Oubre hopes to improve his ballhandling. He’ll also partake in more live scrimmages to sharpen his drive-and-kick game and ability to create opportunities for others.
Oubre is determined to “come back stronger, bigger, better, faster … and not be in this position again,” he said. “So when it rains, the sun’s got to shine one day. So I’m looking forward to sunshine.”