Golden State Warriors: The problem with Kelly Oubre Jr.

At some point, the Golden State Warriors have to accept the glaring issues in Kelly Oubre Jr’s game and realize he might not be a foundational piece for their future. A trade could be the best option for both parties.

Why exactly is that? Is the root of his problems simply not being able to connect on a jump shot? Or is there something more pressing about Oubre that is limiting the team’s overall ceiling? I think the latter is true.

I’ve been holding off on making any severe judgments. After all, I thought acquiring Oubre was a great idea back when the Warriors traded for him. And, all things considered, I still think it was the right move.

Yet, as we currently stand, Oubre is not on a good trajectory. He brings solid perimeter defense – but his lack of IQ, combined with an unwillingness to adapt, could hinder the Dubs’ title hopes for the future.

Kelly Oubre Jr. is off to a troubling start for the Golden State Warriors and it’s time to analyze what is going wrong.

We’ll start with the obvious, Oubre has been detrimental as a shooter. His 25.6 percent clip on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers is as bad as it gets and his 10-of-49 efficiency on ‘wide-open’ attempts is simply inexcusable.

Oubre is a non-threat from deep and his presence is shrinking the floor for Golden State. This won’t be as much of an issue once Klay Thompson returns and can provide additional spacing – but as of now, it’s absolutely backbreaking to have Oubre on the floor in crucial moments.

We’d be remiss not to mention the benefits Oubre brings to the table. He is an extremely physical defender and brings a toughness that the Dubs need on this side of the floor. His long arms and athleticism lend him to be one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and this definitely helps the Warriors.

Sadly, everything he brings defensively is lost through his abysmal shooting from deep and even worse IQ with the ball in his hands. It can’t be overstated that Oubre remains one of the worst playmakers in the league, ranking in the bottom 300 for assist/turnover ratio. This isn’t to say he is a bad passer, he is actually good at hitting open teammates. The problem is, he rarely looks to create plays for others and could be labeled ‘selfish’ fairly easily.

This issue has slowly been resolving itself as the Warriors’ selfless system begins to influence his decision making. But, it’s still a problem, and it may always hold the Warriors back from recreating the free-flowing offense that made them a dynasty.

Oubre serves his purpose as a perimeter defender who can excel in transition and on put-back plays. However, the Warriors need to seriously question his role with the team moving forward, and if flipping him for a different asset would be more helpful for the future.