Oubre is clearly more at ease; it shows in his play
The kind of roll Kelly Oubre Jr. is on, why set limits? Why not go for the big prize: Employee of the Month?
That’s an award that doesn’t necessarily go to the Warriors’ best player. Sometimes it is given to someone in recognition of his improvement and attitude.
Oubre no doubt would appreciate that imaginary award, and the reserved parking space that goes with it. In his acceptance speech, he would say he’s just happy to be fitting in.
Because for a while, he wasn’t. Early in the season, Oubre was the No. 1 candidate for another imaginary award:
the NBA’s biggest flop.
But on Wednesday night, there he was, making a solid contribution in the Warriors’ supergritty 111107 win over the Pacers in Indianapolis.
With 2:25 left in the fourth quarter and the Warriors clinging to a fivepoint lead, the Pacers sent the house at Stephen Curry, who had the ball above the top of the arc. I’m not sure, but I think I saw the Pacers’ floorcleaner kid come out and wave his mop in Curry’s face.
Oubre, on the left wing, slashed into the key just below the freethrow line, Curry found him and Oubre hit a fallaway jumper over 6foot11 Myles Turner. That was the doorslammer.
Oubre’s numerical contributions on the night: 17 points, five rebounds and a teamhigh plus10 (tied with Kent Bazemore).
That’s five games in a row that Oubre has scored at least 17 points. The man who started the season hitting one of his first 25 3point attempts buried 1 of 2 Wednesday, and he’s over 43% on 3s over the past 17 games.
The fellow who started the season as a $74 million (his approximate cost to the team, counting luxury tax) anchor, pulling down the Warriors, continues to give them a lift. What flipped that switch? My theory is that Oubre, even though he’s in his sixth NBA season, has not played with anyone whose game is remotely like that of Curry’s and Draymond Green’s, and it’s like adjusting to the different gravity and atmosphere when you land on Mars.
“Our style is based on Steph and Draymond,” head coach Steve Kerr said recently. “When you talk about the system, they kind of are the system, and the actions we run are based on their strengths, so when guys come, it generally takes them some time (to adjust and adapt) . ... Steph is so unique, he’s just different. You gotta understand that there’s going to be openings in places you’ve never seen before.”
Kerr added Wednesday, “A point center (Green) and a dominant point guard (Curry) who doesn’t have to have the ball — that doesn’t exist in the NBA.”
No team moves the ball like the Warriors do, and that’s Curry and Green. The Warriors went into Wednesday leading the league at 27.8 assists per game, and in the previous five games averaged 31.2 (translation: they are improving). On Wednesday, they had 27 assists in a grinder of a game.
“When you get guys coming from different teams,” Green said Wednesday, “when you
look around the NBA, there’s not much ball movement. There’s definitely not much player movement, and so trying to teach those guys the Warriors’ way — cutting off the ball, screening off the ball, not just waiting and standing for the ball to come back to you, just keep moving . ... I’ve just been telling these guys to keep moving, keep cutting, never stay stagnant . ... Kelly has been tremendous.”
The adjustment has gone both ways. The Warriors are not accustomed to playing with someon with Oubre’s explosiveness, at 6foot7 with a 7foot wingspan.
Green said, “Another thing that’s shocking is how athletic he is. He’s one of the quickest jumpers I’ve ever seen . ... He jumps off the floor so much faster than anyone else.”
Early in the season, that athletic ability was going to waste. The Warriors, more than any potentially great team, rely on team chemistry translated into ball movement, and in early going, Oubre was flunking chemistry.
Give Kerr, and Curry and Green, credit for not giving up on Oubre. Kerr, despite calls for Oubre to be demoted from the starting five (yes, I was one of those voices), stuck with him.
Green and Curry have become assistant coaches, helping the new players get with the program — especially Oubre, Andrew Wiggins and rookie James Wiseman.
Oubre, by keeping a smile through the travails, and listening and learning, began to fit in, and now he’s the new darling of Warriors fans.
They see him fitting in great next season, a dangerous force off the bench when Klay Thompson returns.
Experts say Oubre is almost certain to move to a new team next season, so he can be a starter, but who knows? He might be adjusting his thinking on that, just as he has adjusted his game.