For the first time since being hit by a car, Kelly Oubre Jr. saw some action on the court at the Sixers’ practice facility.
Kelly Oubre Jr. will continue to be sidelined by the Philadelphia 76ers while he heals from injuries he received last weekend from being struck by a car. The Sixers forward is still improving, which is good news.
Oubre worked with the medical staff and player development coaches after the Sixers’ Monday afternoon practice. Oubre has worked out on an exercise bike in the Sixers’ practice facility before, but this was his first time working out on the court.
Before taking some shots, Oubre performed shuttle runs, first at a jog and then a light run, while wearing a compression wrap around his midsection to aid in his recovery from a fractured rib. Before beginning some drills where he had to shoot off the dribble, he set up some stationary jumpers.
“That was his first day back on court.” According to Nick Nurse,”The Sixers’ vice president of athlete care, Simon Rice, has informed me that the evaluation is heavily weighted toward today and tomorrow. I believe the first step was to get him moving. The next step is to get him involved in things. And after tomorrow, hopefully, we’ll have a slightly clearer picture of the timeline.”
The Sixers declared on Sunday that Oubre will undergo another evaluation in about a week. According to an ESPN report by Adrian Wojnarowski, Oubre might make a comeback to the field by the end of November. While the nurse isn’t currently concentrating too much on his projected return date, it goes without saying that she would prefer to see him back in action as soon as possible.
“To be honest with you, I haven’t really focused on thinking about the timeline,” the nurse admitted. “Well, I believe I was aware that it would take some time before we found out. However, I believe that he is moving rather well today, and that is the first encouraging sign.Without a doubt, the sooner, the better.”
The Sixers were overjoyed to see Oubre back in the building and have continued to think about him as the season has progressed.
Patrick Beverley responded, “Just his energy, obviously,” when asked about Oubre’s return to (limited) action. “You obviously miss his play, but you also miss his confidence and vigor. It’s good to know he’s cool and to see his face. We’re with him every step of the way. Simply put, it’s nice to have him back here.”
It was encouraging to see Oubre return to the Sixers practice court, according to Robert Covington. “Seeing him in person, getting to know him, and witnessing his ups and downs was enjoyable. He reported that he was recovering nicely. He is feeling rather well. Thus, all we have to do is wait,” Covington stated.
For a Sixers club that is keen to have Oubre return, his return to the court is a crucial first step. However, the process of bringing him up to speed is still in progress.
“I think getting him into some action where there’s some contact.” When asked what the next course of action would be, Nurse responded, “I believe the next step will likely be some kind of drill work where there’s some live [action] against development coaches, things like that.” Then, I believe, we simply need to advance it to live scrimmaging before they return to the court.”