Washington Wizards’ Kelly Oubre Finding Niche On Team By Keeping It Simple
By Ben Mehic
Washington Wizards forward Kelly Oubre is finding his niche on the team and it’s resulted in more minutes from Scott Brooks.
When Kelly Oubre steps onto the court, everybody notices, even though the 21-year-old isn’t a household name.
With his voluminous hair and “fear” tattooed on his right bicep, it’s impossible not to see the usually confident Oubre strut onto the Washington Wizards’ hardwood after Scott Brooks calls his name.
But for Oubre to have continued success in the nation’s capital, his game needs to remain simple.
On Saturday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Oubre showed a flash of the player he could become against one of the most intimidating teams in the NBA.
Oubre has been in and out of Brooks’ rotation this season, mostly because the head coach hasn’t built enough trust in the second-year forward.
Like any other developing player, Oubre has tried to stand out on the court by doing too much, often forcing shots in traffic and throwing the team out of its offensive rhythm. Defensively, Oubre has gambled, attempting to steal the ball, but putting the team out of position to get stops.
Sometimes, his overzealous style works.
He’ll occasionally get a steal after leaving his assignment and gambling, leading to a fast break opportunity. He’ll make a shot or two in traffic. But most of the time, it kills Washington’s momentum, making him virtually unplayable.
Against the Cavaliers, though, Oubre checked in with a different mentality.
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He carried himself with his usual fearlessness, guarding LeBron James, arguably the best player to ever lace up sneakers, on the perimeter.
Oubre slid his feet near the baseline, preventing the Cavaliers’ offense from getting any easy looks from moving without the ball.
When the Washington Wizards snagged a rebound, Oubre didn’t command the ball and rush towards the rim.
He paced himself up the court with John Wall, waiting for his point guard to find him inside for uncontested layups.
If one of his teammates isolated, Oubre quietly crashed the offensive glass, sneaking in the paint among the giants. He came down with the ball and went back up immediately, scoring on multiple put-back tries.
Oubre didn’t make a single play that would’ve been replayed on Sportscenter, but he scored 16 points on 7 of 8 shooting from the field. He didn’t attempt to take his defenders off the dribble, instead relying on clean-up baskets and cutting to the rim.
At this point in his career, Oubre isn’t skilled enough to be the player he wants to be. His ball handling skills aren’t at the level it needs to be for him to isolate and create for himself. His shooting isn’t refined enough for him to hit stepback jumpers at will.
But this type of progression is common. His teammates, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter, were in similar positions not too long ago. After a few summers of development in the gym, both have blossomed into All-Star caliber players, capable of doing the things they couldn’t in the past.
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For Oubre to have a long-term career with the Washington Wizards, he’ll have to stick to the basics. Oubre thrives when he embraces his role as the team’s pest – someone who’s disruptive defensively and scores by hustling. It’s taken him some time, but with less than 10 games remaining in the season, Oubre has finally found his niche.