Washington Wizards’ new head coach, Scott Brooks, will give everybody on the roster a chance to compete for minutes, including Kelly Oubre.
Most would agree that finding a job that doesn’t destroy the soul out of college is virtually impossible. While that’s certainly applicable to the “real world,” it’s also seen in professional sports.
For his entire basketball career, Kelly Oubre had been considered the man. He was the best player wherever he laced his sneakers. Despite the rocky start to his freshman season at Kansas, Oubre played well enough to be considered a lottery pick.
Oubre was eventually taken with the 15th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft after the Washington Wizards traded up to snag the 20-year-old.
Rocking indescribable shoes, Oubre walked across the NBA Draft stage and shook the commissioner’s hand. His journey, though, would only get progressively more difficult.
Randy Wittman has never been known for player development. Otto Porter, a third overall pick, sat on the bench during his rookie season, even though the Wizards sorely needed help on the wing.
Others, like Kevin Seraphin and Shelvin Mack, weren’t given a chance to play through their rookie mistakes and never became the players they should’ve been in Washington.
Oubre had never played for a stubborn, old-school coach.
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He went from being “the man” to just another unused young player in the nation’s capital.
Last year, Oubre played less than 700 total minutes.
Now, Wittman is no longer in Washington and he’s been replaced by a coach who was brought to D.C. primarily for his track record in developing talent.
Before he even met Oubre, head coach Scott Brooks praised the 6-foot-7 forward during his introductory press conference, citing his potential on both ends of the floor.
Perhaps more than anyone else on the Wizards’ roster, Oubre will benefit from having a coach in the locker room who believes in his talent.
On Monday, Oubre was visibly more confident than he had been in the season prior.
His shorts remained way above his knees, but something about Oubre was different. To those who attended media day, it was clear that Oubre had embraced the change the Washington Wizards made.
“It’s crazy, the impact he’s had,” Oubre told reporters about Brooks during media day. “We haven’t even stepped on the court together and he’s made his presence felt in this building. Coach Brooks is definitely going to do some great things. I’m bought in already. I’m ready to go to war for him.”
Having coached Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden in Oklahoma City, Brooks is no stranger to dealing with players with All-Star potential.
Strangely enough, Oubre possessed the same upside last year as he currently has. For some unknown reason, though, Wittman refused to acknowledge his presence on the team.
Oubre was rarely seen on the court and wasn’t given an opportunity to play even when the Wizards’ season was essentially over.
Porter, who was in a similar spot just a few years ago, started in 73 of the 75 games he suited up for and played a career high 30.3 minutes per game.
In his rookie season, Porter had played just over eight minutes per game, missing a large chunk of time due to injuries. The year after, Porter played just 19.4 minutes per game.
The idea of Oubre getting minutes ahead of Porter wasn’t even considered last year and for good reason. No one knew how well Oubre could perform at the next level. But that idea just might be thought about during training camp.
Washington had completely revamped their second unit this summer and will return with the same starting five. The catch is, only four of the five starting spots are guaranteed. Brooks told the media that the small-forward position is up for grabs.
“Definitely, it’s going to be healthy competition,” Brooks said. “We also have some younger players who are coming into camp. I’d like both of them to take a step in the right direction and they should.”
Oubre had spent this past summer working with Drew Hanlen, who also trains Bradley Beal.
“I wasn’t playing a lot, but I really learned how to work hard,” Oubre told the media on Monday. “I learned how to get better. That’s the biggest takeaway from my rookie year.”
I asked Oubre if he was thinking about the possibility of starting this upcoming season, but his focus remained on the team.
“You know, I’m here. We both play for the same team,” Oubre said. “We have five players in the lineup. It’s not six. I’m ready for training camp and trying to get some minutes. I’ll be the best that I can be to help this team.”
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Whether he will admit it or not, all 15 players on the roster would take the opportunity to start. Oubre happens to be one of the 15 that will actually have the chance. Porter put up career-highs all across the board last season, but with Brooks in town, both players have a clean slate.