The Golden State Warriors have played very good basketball with just a handful of games remaining. Stephen Curry is still on track to be the NBA’s scoring leader, potentially securing the scoring title for the second time in his career.
While Curry’s been the main catalyst for the team’s success, players like veteran Kent Bazemore and second-year sharpshooter Mychal Mulder have filled in well while Kelly Oubre Jr. has been sidelined.
Kelly Oubre Jr. does not need surgery which is breaking news, but the Warriors guard will more than likely miss the remainder of the regular season.
Oubre Jr., as long as he can’t further add to his injury as I’m sure he’ll be re-examined again, is looking likely to return for a postseason run. According to Yahoo! Sports Chris Haynes, Oubre Jr. will “not require surgery.”
Golden State Warriors swingman Kelly Oubre Jr. will not require surgery on his ailing left wrist and is expected to be sidelined 1-2 weeks, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) May 6, 2021
The NBA play-in tournament, which includes four teams, the No. 7-10 seed in the respective conference, will commence on May 18, so about 11 days away. The Warriors still have five games on the table before those begin.
As for Oubre Jr., he was sidelined with wrist soreness for five games, returned for five games, and has now missed five games. Oddly, he’ll eventually miss ten games, so all his stints fall in intervals of five.
The young guard has been crucial to the team’s success. It’s sad to see him sidelined as his energy was contagious. While his scoring hasn’t necessarily been there as compared to his last season in Phoenix, the upside as a scorer is there for the 25-year-old.
The positive from Haynes is that it appears that Oubre will be able to be back for after the play-in tournament. Steph Curry’s electric play should be enough to get the Warriors into the actual playoffs.
But, even if he returns, at what level can Oubre Jr. play at? It seems like he’ll be playing through the pain until he has the offseason to heal up. If that’s the case, can his shooting still be a factor? Is there any change in his aggression?
Golden State has a great roster, and everyone is learning how to play with Curry as their central focus. Getting Oubre Jr. will help make the team more difficult to stop and also better on the defensive end.
If he can come back and play decent basketball, the Warriors will get a huge boost for the second unit.