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Kelly Oubre: Washington Wizards Confident Oubre Will Flourish In D.C.

By Ben Mehic

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I admittedly didn’t know much about Kansas forward Kelly Oubre prior to last night’s NBA Draft. Washington was in the middle of another NBA Playoff run and I focused on learning more about prospects that would’ve been available with their 19th overall selection.

I watched Bobby Portis, Kevon Looney, Justin Anderson and others play. I read about them too. I didn’t focus on Kelly Oubre, because, well, he wasn’t expected to be available.

Washington’s brass didn’t expect the former college standout to be available, neither.

Ernie Grunfeld tried to get Oubre in for a work out during the pre-draft process, but things didn’t go as planned.

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His agent scheduled work outs with teams that had lottery selections.

Randy Wittman didn’t know much about Oubre, but watched film on him after May 15th when Washington was eliminated from the semi-finals.

When the opportunity presented itself on Thursday night, the Washington Wizards pounced.

They traded their 19th overall pick and two future second round picks to the Atlanta Hawks for Kelly Oubre — a player they didn’t expect to be wearing their uniform next season.

Washington was considered one of the oldest teams in the league this past season. NBA veterans Marcin Gortat, Nene, Paul Pierce, Drew Gooden, Rasual Butler and even Andre Miller all played key roles last year for Washington.

While many NBA pundits called the Wizards a “young team”, the Wizards didn’t have many young players on their roster outside of their core which is comprised of John Wall, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter.

With Kelly Oubre, the Wizards will get a player who has the potential to become an NBA All-Star, but also someone who has to improve their game greatly before reaching that level.

At 19-years-old, Oubre showed flashes of what he could become at Kansas.

The 6’7″ forward has all the physical tools to thrive along side Washington’s star back court. He has a 7’3″ wing-span and a skill-set that could make him a defensive monster at the next level. His shooting stroke looks fluid and he’s shown the capability of knocking down outside shots.

Even more importantly, Kelly Oubre seems to have a ridiculous work ethic and a willingness to improve.

Washington’s culture changed with the arrival of John Wall and a number of veteran players. Suddenly their players actually wanted to get better and enjoyed spending time in the gym. Oubre is a player who spends hours in the gym and understands his flaws.

Washington does have some wing depth behind Kelly Oubre, so it’s unclear if he’ll get much of a chance to play next season. Randy Wittman is notorious for not giving rookie players a chance to play, even if they’re deserving. We saw him play Rasual Butler and Martell Webster over Porter at times last season, even though the former third overall pick was clearly the best option available.

If Paul Pierce returns, Kelly Oubre will have the chance to learn from another former Kansas Jayhawk. If he doesn’t, he’ll still have the likes of Nene, Gortat and even the young back court in his ear constantly.

Wall has embraced his role as the team’s locker room leader and he’s become a lot more vocal throughout the years. His growth and maturity as a player will certainly help Oubre adapt at the next level.

After the draft, some Wizards fans expressed concern over drafting Kelly Oubre, especially since there were other more “NBA ready” players available. Washington decided to gamble on Oubre, knowing that he has the physical tools and work ethic to get better in D.C.

Kelly Oubre will be surrounded by some of the best players in the league in the nation’s capital. If there’s any player in the NBA that you should have confidence in, it’s John Wall. During his introductory press conference this afternoon, Kelly Oubre talked about playing along side Wall and said that he knows the franchise point guard will make him “look good.” Oubre is right.

We’ve seen the Wizards gamble on “athletic” projects in the past, only to see those players wash out of the NBA. The Washington Wizards think Kelly Oubre is different. And you should too.

Now, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. One thing is certain: I’m excited to see Beal, Porter and Oubre sprint up the court with John Wall.

Next: Dez Wells, Roddy Beaubois Join Wizards Summer League Squad

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