Washington Wizards: Kelly Oubre it’s your time
The Washington Wizards dropped Game to the Toronto Raptors. However, an underlying storyline has been the production of Kelly Oubre.
The Washington Wizards dropped Game 1 to the Toronto Raptors. However, an underlying storyline has been the production of Kelly Oubre.
The Wizards saw the mistakes that were made, and what they have to do better to grab Game 2 in Toronto. The most obvious being guarding the three-point line, and doing a better job of pulling down rebounds on both ends of the floor.
However, Oubre needs to get back into the swing of things. Right now he’s in a bit of shooting slump, although he was able to knock down a three on Saturday.
Oubre not being able to make threes right now is not as important as some have argued.
Instead of Oubre focusing on his 3-point shot, he needs to step back and take his time in other areas of his game. He knows how to defend, but he’s rushing things. Just be patient.
I know the saying is “haste makes waste”. But I’m going to give you one of my own, “haste makes mistakes”.
You’re known for your defensive hustle. But the Raptors play a more conservative and disciplined style of basketball.
You’re young, but you’re going to have to be old-school with an old-school defensive mentality.
Which means going back to the basics. Just stay on your man. It’s good to always grab that steal, but not if it’s going to lead into a foul.
You’re number one job is defense. Everywhere your man goes, you’re there with him.
It’s simple. But sometimes when we’re caught up in a quagmire of problems, we try to find the most complex solution, when sometimes it’s just an easy fix.
You have a lot of energy, so that’s not a problem to stay on your man, no matter how much he tries to shake you. But one thing he cannot do is shake your confidence.
A little doubt appears to be at the root of your problems right now.
So drown out the noise, the critics, the naysayers and remember that you’re the same person from the beginning of the season, who had to step up when Markieff Morris went down.
A lot has been written about how you’re missing your 3-point shot. That wasn’t something that warranted my attention from a writing standpoint.
I was looking at was he making stops and making shots. It didn’t matter what type of shots they were, but did he get points on the board?
The most important thing is to stop your man from making theirs. Secondly, make a basket.
You’re fearless when driving to the basket. Go back to your strengths, and the other parts of your game will slowly return.
Drive to the basket. You’re either going to get a bucket, get fouled, and maybe both. Don’t worry about your three-point shot.
Your main concern is defense and scoring. If the easiest way to do that is to make a layup or dunk, then that’s the road to travel for now.
You’re going to have an impact in these playoffs. The storyline will no longer be about your three-point shooting or lack of defense.
But rather how you made that incredible dunk, that 3-point play after an and-1, and disrupted Toronto’s offense on a possession.
Oubre, you never need to quiet your critics. The only thing you need to do is quiet your doubts. If you can do that, you will be the most confident player on the floor.