PHILADELPHIA — The directive much of this season from Nick Nurse to Jabari Walker has been to shoot.
Not just because the 23-year-old power forward’s shot threat is a potent spacing threat for the driving of the Philadelphia 76ers’ guards. Not because it’s something to do out there on the offensive end. Certainly not because Walker is only hitting on 27.3 percent of his shots this season.
It’s mainly because Walker shot 38.9 percent last season with the Portland Trail Blazers and was brought to Philadelphia for his mix of floor-stretching and rebound-grabbing.
“Tremendously,” Walker said of the motivational assist after he hit a pair of 3s in a 10-point, 12-rebound night to key the rout of Washington on Tuesday. “It doesn’t get any better than that, the head coach telling me to shoot the ball, pretty much every day.”
Blowout though it was in a game where the 76ers led by as many as 36 in the second half, Walker’s two 3-pointers in the second quarter proved vital to the initial separation.
It’s part of a teamwide effort to take the load off the shoulders of Tyrese Maxey, and it’s part of the value that Walker brings.
“I’m really asking him quite frequently to take those 3s,” Nurse said. “He’s a good shooter. His numbers and things that he charts, they’re really high. But you’ve got to have the feel of meaningful games to get the confidence to pull the trigger. We’re really working on him to take those. It was great to see him get some off tonight.”
With the nightly in and out in the frontcourt, Walker and fellow two-way big Dominick Barlow have had to flex into a variety of lineups. They’ve done well, even in instances where minutes have been scarce.
Barlow, as the de facto fourth center often relied upon for minutes at the 5, started for the ninth time in 12 appearances on Thursday against Golden State. He’s averaging 26.2 minutes and career highs of 8.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
Walker’s minutes have been more sporadic, with games where he’s barely been in the rotation. He’s played in 19 of 21 games with five starts, averaging 13.4 minutes, 3.8 points and 3.5 rebounds.
Walker talked Tuesday about focusing his drill work to mimic what he might see in games. Instead of getting a bunch of 3s up in a row, he worked with fellow reserve big Johni Broome on emphasizing higher-pressure makes: one time up the floor, one shot, must make. He’s also worked on visualizing his shot, even on games where he hasn’t played.
It’s an adaptability that’s paying off.
“It’s tough but it’s fun, because you don’t get boxed into anything,” he said. “If you’re hooping, coach lets you hoop. And that’s amazing. So honestly, just not attaching yourself to something too much, OK, this has to happen. I don’t attach myself to that.
“If this happens, then I’ll be ready for this, and I’ll be ready if this happens. Worst-case scenario, I’m a good teammate, and I can say I was a good teammate and I had a good attitude going home.”
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The 76ers were fined $100,000 Wednesday for violating the league’s injury reporting rules around Joel Embiid’s status for Sunday’s game against Atlanta in which he was initially listed as out.
Thursday, Embiid went from doubtful on the initial report to questionable to cleared for the visit from a Warriors team that was without Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler.
Embiid started for the sixth time this season.
He scored 18 points on 6-for-14 shooting in a season-high 30 minutes against Atlanta, his minutes extended due to that game going to double overtime. He had missed the previous nine games with soreness in his right knee, and the team is also managing his ongoing left knee injury recovery.
Hit to the bank account aside, Nurse was pleased by and large with how the team integrated Embiid into their efforts to move faster on the offensive side against Atlanta.
“I really liked it in the first half,” he said. “I think there was enough variety. I’m always talking about I don’t want it just to be Tyrese and Joel, especially in the first half. I want some of the other guys coming off some of those actions. So the first half for sure. It seemed like in the fourth maybe it wasn’t the best.”
Paul George (left knee injury recovery) was ruled out Thursday, the start of a back-to-back with the 76ers traveling to Milwaukee. It’s likely George will be good to play that game, the 76ers staggering their stars.
Sunday was the first game that George and Embiid had played together this season. Sunday’s visit from the Los Angeles Lakers could be the second.
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Kelly Oubre was reevaluated two weeks after his left knee injury. He’s progressing and will be evaluated again next week.
“Getting better each and every day,” Oubre said. “It’s a slow process, of course, just not playing with Mother Nature and just allowing my body to heal and take the time to do the things that I need to do to make sure I strengthen the muscles. So every day is a new challenge, but it’s getting better.”
Oubre hyperextended his knee Nov. 14 in Detroit. He said he had suffered a hyperextension in the opener against Boston, but the second was more severe.
He’s not yet back running, though he is doing conditioning and upper body work.
Oubre had averaged 16.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in the 12 games he played, some of the best basketball of his career. He’s trying to keep that momentum alive as best he can while watching.
“You get to just study and be a student of the game, because that’s all you’ve really got for yourself right now,” he said. “… Just watching, being a student of the game, being able to see your opponents, being able to see your teammates’ tendencies, see what works as a unit for us, kind of just take a step back and have an eagle eye on the game. I think that’s very beneficial.”
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NOTES >> Quentin Grimes (right calf) returned after missing his first game of the season Tuesday. Nurse said they will monitor his minutes. That is also true of Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe, the latter of whom missed three games with a calf issue. … The other outstanding injury absence is Trendon Watford (left adductor strain). He got shots up at shootaround and is on track to be reevaluated next week. … The 76ers are in a stretch of facing teams without their stars. Curry (left quad contusion) and Butler (left knee soreness) missed out Thursday. The Bucks ruled Giannis Antetokounmpo out with a right calf strain. The Lakers will probably get Luka Doncic back by Sunday, the guard missing Thursday’s game against Toronto to return to Slovenia for the birth of his second child.
