The Philadelphia 76ers will not be crying about how their offseason turned out, that's for sure. However, the departure of Kelly Oubre Jr. is one exit they cannot fully gloss over, as the veteran forward was a vital part of the team for quite a while. He ended up leaving for the Pacers in free agency, and it appears that one thing that contributed to his decision was the shift in the style of play –– something Philly did not make during his stay.
In a recent interview with Hoops Hype, Oubre went at length to discuss what drove him to choose to play for the Pacers this offseason. He doubled down on Indiana's faster style of play as one of the factors that led him to sign with the franchise, pointing out that the 76ers played at a slower pace in comparison. Well, that only proves that, to some degree, the team paid the price for not yielding to what people have been telling them to do over the last few years, which is to speed up their tempo.
Kelly Oubre leaves 76ers for Pacers with a key reminder about pace
During Oubre's first season in Philly, the 76ers were 18th in pace. The year subsequent to that, they finished 24th in the same department. This past season, the team made some strides, but still only ranked 15th on that front. Clearly, playing at a fast pace was not a preferred M.O. for the squad when the veteran was in the fold.
Even before the 2024-25 campaign began, when the 76ers had just brought Paul George in, fans and pundits alike were already calling for the team to implement a more dynamic play style and take advantage of their personnel outside of Joel Embiid. Instead, the team opted to be more adaptive than being the catalyst, resulting in them having to play half-court more than they should.
Now with the Pacers –– and true to their moniker –– playing at a fast pace will be the default for Oubre. Given his athleticism and skill set, Indiana is virtually a perfect landing spot for him. Tyrese Haliburton is making his return from a one-year absence, and that should help him further unlock his game as an offensive threat.
Kelly Oubre Jr. was fantastic in his stint with the 76ers. Be that as it may, there is a strong chance that his stint with the Pacers could be even better given that Indy presents a textbook fit for what the veteran's gifts require.
