The Philadelphia 76ers are gearing up for a home matchup against the Washington Wizards, hoping to fully flush away their previous loss to the massively shorthanded Denver Nuggets. Ahead of the game, the Sixers released their injury report, notably featuring a new designation for two of their long-absent role players.
Kelly Oubre and Trendon Watford have been absent since Nov. 14 and 25, respectively, but on Tuesday night, the two forwards were finally upgraded from OUT to QUESTIONABLE, along with Joel Embiid, who was given the same designation.
Before their extended absences, both Oubre and Watford played crucial roles for a Sixers team that still had consistent contributions from Embiid and veteran Paul George, who continued their ramp-up into the regular season.
In 12 games played, Oubre averaged 16.8 points, his highest mark since joining the team, while adding over five rebounds a game as a starter. Watford, primarily off the bench, added a highly efficient 8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 14 games played.
While both of their roles will be further reduced in an eventual return, thanks to the recent consistent play of Embiid and George, the pair will arguably be more valuable than ever as they attempt to fit into the Sixers' current structure.
Oubre, in particular, will be an interesting case to watch. Of his 140 games with the Sixers, Oubre has started in 121 games. In his absence this season, the team has turned to Dominick Barlow, who has provided a significant lift thanks to his size, hustle, rebounding, and ability as a cutter.
Should Oubre return tomorrow, there is a chance he could come off the bench to begin ramping up toward an eventual starting return. Either immediately starting or this form of ramp-up would be the most likely of scenarios, but there's undoubtedly a difficult choice ahead for head coach Nick Nurse.
