Wiz of Awes
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Washington Wizards: What Does Oubre Do for You?

By Erik Threet II

May 2, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas (4) is guarded by Washington Wizards shooting forward Kelly Oubre Jr. (12) during the second quarter in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
May 2, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas (4) is guarded by Washington Wizards shooting forward Kelly Oubre Jr. (12) during the second quarter in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /
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Washington Wizards forward Kelly Oubre gets his chance at redemption Wednesday night in Boston. After playing only 5 minutes in the last two games because of the ejection and suspension, Oubre should bring a high level of energy and effort.

It was a simple pick-and-roll.

Kelly Oubre Jr. was doing his best to limit Celtics All-Star Isaiah Thomas before a hard Kelly Olynyk screen sent Oubre to the ground. Within seconds, Oubre hopped up, accelerated toward the other, less-liked, Kelly and put a strong left forearm in his chest, returning the favor.

And just like that, the Wave Papi was gone. The retaliator always gets caught.

The Wizards missed Oubre’s presence in Game 4, despite blowing the Celtics out. Off the bench, he brings energy and intensity. Hopefully in Game 5 on Wednesday, he can channel his passion toward basketball – not at Olynyk.

If Oubre focuses and ignores the hate he’s going to receive in The Garden, the Wizards will thrive.

Defense

He is one of the main defenders thrown at Thomas. Oubre’s absence did not hurt the Wizards in Game 4, but they will need him for the rest of the series. He has more athleticism and lateral quickness than Bojan Bogdanovic and Tomas Satoransky, which are abilities you need when guarding IT. Putting Oubre on him will allow other guys, like John Wall, to save their energy for offense.

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Another thing Oubre does sufficiently is cut off passing lanes. The Celtics’ success this series is determined by how much Isaiah Thomas possesses the ball.

In Games 1 and 2, the ball went through Thomas almost every possession and he averaged 43 points per game (PPG). The Wizards forced other Celtics to score in Games 3 and 4 – the two games they won – and Isaiah only had 16 PPG. With Oubre harassing Thomas and preventing him from getting the ball, his low point output should continue.

Offense

He is the most versatile wing scorer the Wizards have off the bench. In half-court sets, Oubre’s shooting ability forces defenses to respect his jumper. This creates space for Wall, Bradley Beal and Brandon Jennings, so they have more room to operate.

Specifically, Oubre has upped his percentage from the corners. Only 18 percent of his corner 3’s fell during the regular season compared to 44.4 percent during the postseason.

Oubre has shown the ability to attack off the dribble and strength when finishing at the rim. This is something Bogdanovic, the Wizards’ leading bench scorer, has had problems accomplishing. He is a spot-up shooter, while Oubre can adjust to the situation.

Wave Papi, as a 21-year-old, is getting indispensable experience on a national stage against a top-tier opponent. Even Bleacher Report believes, he’s an “unsung hero” in Washington.

Next: Washington Wizards: Analyzing Bradley Beal’s Offensive Performance in Game 4

He won’t be perfect, as we saw last Thursday. What he needs to be is present because the winner of Game 5 advances 83 percent of the time (162-34).

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