Golden State Warriors: Kelly Oubre Jr. has to be a 3-point threat

Acquiring Kelly Oubre Jr. kept the Golden State Warriors’ title hopes alive, but there is still work left to be done.

The Golden State Warriors are bracing for a new season with a different dynamic than what they are used to. They can’t expect things to flow the same way it did in the past now that Klay Thompson is set to miss the entire year again. Instead, they need Kelly Oubre Jr. to fill in where he can and help create a smooth transition from Splash Brothers to Slash Brothers.

Oubre, alongside Andrew Wiggins, will create an athletic tandem that the Dubs haven’t had throughout their title runs. The two are elite at scoring in transition and can elevate above the rim for jaw-dropping plays. This duo will routinely create highlights – but how much can they contribute to a winning culture?

Ideally, both of them will have to step up in ways they haven’t before in their career. Wiggins will be asked to blossom into the consistent scorer he has always shown potential to be – while Oubre will need to maintain momentum coming off the best season of his life.

While Wiggins has shown to be a streaky shooter from deep, it is Oubre who the Warriors will come to rely on for floor spacing next season. Oubre connected on 108 total 3-pointers last season, only three fewer than Wiggins on higher efficiency. Oubre also shot more catch-and-shoot 3-pointers than Wiggins on roughly the same percentage.

However, the main reason Oubre will likely become the floor spacer for Golden State is the fact that he is a much better pull-up shooter than Wiggins. Oubre shot close to 45 percent on pull-up field goals and 37.9 percent on pull-up 3-point attempts. This is far better than Wiggins who shot 32 percent from both the floor and 3-point line on these shots.

The Warriors won’t be counting on Oubre or Wiggins to put up Thompson-type numbers. Instead, the two will spend time in motion to the rim, looking for easy points in the paint. However, someone will need to step out behind the arch and provide a consistent stroke – and it seems Oubre is the most prepared candidate.

If Oubre is able to properly provide spacing for the Warriors it will go a long way to their success. There is no replacing Thompson, but a quality threat from deep is going to be needed for the Warriors to return to the top.