Tag: Kelly Oubre Jr.

Watch: Kelly Oubre Jr. makes first 3-pointer as member of the Warriors during first quarter vs. Pistons

After starting the season 0-for-17 from beyond the arc, Kelly Oubre Jr. hit his first 3-pointer as a member of the Golden State Warriors against the Detroit Pistons.

With Klay Thompson slated to miss the season due to injury, the Golden State Warriors were going to have to lean on new acquisition Kelly Oubre Jr. However, the former member of the Phoenix Suns struggled to find his rhythm shooting the ball to start the season.

Through three games, Oubre Jr. shot 17.5% from the field on 13.3 attempts in 25.3 minutes per contest. The five-year pro shooting dilemma extended beyond the arc. Through his opening stint with Golden State, Oubre failed to knock down a triple on 17 attempts.

During the first quarter against the Detroit Pistons, Oubre Jr.’s slump came to an end. With the Warriors leading by two points early in the first quarter against the Pistons, Oubre Jr. dropped his first 3-pointer with the Warriors on a pass from Kevon Looney. Following Oubre Jr.’s jumper falling, Golden State’s bench erupted in celebration.

Watch Oubre Jr.’s first long-range make of the season via @NBCSWarriors on Twitter:

Over his career, Oubre Jr. is shooting 32.4% from beyond the arc on 3.7 attempts per game. During his 2019-20 campaign with Phoenix, the Kansas product notched a career-best clip, shooting 35.2% from long-distance.

To compete for a spot in the Western Conference Playoffs, the Warriors will need Oubre Jr. to consistently be a threat from the 3-point line. Tuesday’s jumper was a step in the right direction.

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Kelly Oubre Jr.’s father on starting own brand: ‘I’m no LaVar Ball’

In starting his own brand, Beast Development, Kelly Oubre Sr. wants to keep expectations in check for the company’s success.

As controversial a figure as he may be, LaVar Ball will always have the label of pioneer after creating his own brand and building it up to global prominence. For many, he’s served as motivation, including Master P, in starting their own brands from the ground up.

Kelly Oubre Sr., is the latest to cite Ball as an example for starting his own business. However, while Ball is an example, he is not someone Oubre is attempting to replicate.

In a piece with NBC Bay Area, he discussed starting his own brand and not wanting to come across as LaVar Ball 2.0.

“We all know of the Ball family, and I commend Mr. Ball. I’m not Mr. Ball. And I never tried to be, because I realize that I have one Kelly and I love my son with all my heart. So, I didn’t want to give the impression, because it’s just not my personality, that I was trying to seek the limelight or seek attention, especially if it was at his expense.”

“Don’t get me wrong. And, please, don’t think I’m knocking Mr. Ball and his methods. But as a dad, you know, where is the blueprint here? There is none.”

Oubre Sr. stated he waited to launch his company, Beast Development, in order to not shine in his son’s light. Contrasted to Ball, who seemed to cash in on his sons at the earliest imaginable chance and it’s certainly very different approaches.

Beast Development, like Big Baller Brand, is a clothing brand. Becoming as successful as Big Baller Brand was will be a tough task for any brand, let alone a new start-up brand.

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Reaction, Stats: Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre Jr. combine for 70 points in Warriors preseason finale win over Kings, 113-109

During their final preseason game of 2020, Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre Jr. combined for 70 points against the Kings.

After Kyle Guy’s game-winning buzzer-beater spoiled their chances of a comeback on Tuesday night, the Golden State Warriors got revenge against the Sacramento Kings in the 2020 preseason finale on Thursday.

Following a high-scoring first half, Steph Curry led a big third quarter to give the Warriors a 113-109 win against the Kings at Golden 1 Center. Thursday’s win over the Kings pushed the Warriors to a 2-1 record in the preseason.

The Warriors managed to win games against the Kings and the Denver Nuggets despite missing Draymond Green and James Wiseman. After reportedly testing positive for COVID-19 at the start of training camp, the frontcourt pair were sidelined for all of Golden State’s preseason campaign.

The Warriors will have four days before they travel to Brooklyn for the regular-season opener against the Nets on Tuesday, Dec. 22.

Here are four notable observations from Golden State’s preseason win against their Northern California rival.

Warriors’ Kelly Oubre Jr. calls James Wiseman ‘a massive individual’

Like his teammates, Oubre is impressed with the size and athleticism that Wiseman has displayed so far in training camp.

James Wiseman has yet to make his debut with the Golden State Warriors but the second overall pick has impressed his teammates and coaching staff with his size and athleticism alone during practice.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr described Wiseman’s skill set as unique given his size at 7-foot tall and his ability to run the floor. The scary part is Wiseman still has so much left of his game to unlock after a limited body of work to this point.

On Thursday, teammate Kelly Oubre Jr. backed up the prior reviews of Wiseman, stating how impressed he was with his size and energy on the court.

“I think you all have seen the headlines: He is a massive individual,” Oubre said. “It’ll be fun for us to run, have a lot of energy, just be super athletic, super versatile out there on the court together. I look forward to just throwing it up to him and letting him go do this thing.”

While Wiseman has been praised for his high level of energy on the court, he still has to learn how to harness it. Draymond Green described his play as all over the place while Kerr echoed that statement. Wiseman admitted to being a bit giddy and is working on getting a better handle on it.

The 19-year-old will not play on Thursday in the Warriors’ preseason finale after reportedly testing positive for the coronavirus. He is progressing toward debuting and will take part in his second scrimmage with the team on Saturday, which could be the final hurdle to clear in order to play in the regular-season opener on Tuesday.

The package that Wiseman gives the Warriors on a nightly basis figures to be a big boost on both ends of the floor. He is still adjusting to the NBA game but the foundation is there to have a productive rookie campaign.

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Steve Kerr calls Kelly Oubre Jr.’s defense vs. Nuggets ‘excellent’

After notching three blocks in the Warriors’ preseason tilt against the Nuggets, Steve Kerr had high praise for Kelly Oubre Jr.’s defense.

The Golden State Warriors’ first preseason game of the 2020-21 campaign saw the Bay Area debut of offseason addition Kelly Oubre Jr.

With the Denver Nuggets in town, the 25-year-old registered 22 minutes in Golden State’s backcourt with Steph Curry, scoring 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting. Oubre Jr. displayed his scoring potential, knocking down a corner 3-pointer and finishing a tough layup with a defender draped all over him. 

The Kansas product also showed up on the defensive end, tallying three blocks against the Nuggets. Along with protecting the rim, Oubre Jr. picked up Jamal Murray with full-court pressure at times during the game. 

Via @gswchris on Twitter: 

 

After the preseason game, Steve Kerr had praise for Oubre Jr.’s defense. In his postgame press conference, Kerr called the new Golden State wing’s defense “excellent.”

Excellent. He’s not afraid to guard the ball and take on the toughest challenge. I thought he did a really good job.

Although he didn’t record a block or a steal against the Nuggets, Kerr also “loved” what he saw from Andrew Wiggins on the defensive end. 

I loved Andrew’s defense, as well. A lot of active plays coming from the weakside — going up to challenge guy’s shots from behind, sort of coming out of nowhere to bother shooters.

During his 12 game stint in Golden State last season, Wiggins averaged a career-best 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per contest. The former NBA Rookie of the Year swatted a new career-high four blocks against the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 29.  

Listen to Kerr’s full postgame presser via Warriors SoundCloud.

Once Draymond Green and James Wiseman return to the rotation healthy, Steve Kerr will have a chance to evaluate his restructured defensive attack. Wiggins and Oubre Jr.’s steady presence on defense against the Nuggets was a positive first step for Golden State’s new-look unit. 

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Kelly Oubre Jr. stats and highlights from Warriors preseason opening win vs. Nuggets

In his Chase Center debut for the Warriors’ first preseason game against the Denver Nuggets, Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 10 points in 22 minutes.

Along with the Golden State Warriors’ first game in nine months, the opening preseason contest on the Chase Center schedule saw the debuts of new additions to the Bay Area.

Near the start of free agency, the Warriors acquired Kelly Oubre Jr. from the Oklahoma City Thunder. On Saturday, the 25-year-old made his first appearance with the Warriors during a preseason tilt against the Denver Nuggets.

With Klay Thompson injured, Oubre Jr. laced up next to Stephen Curry as a starter in the backcourt. The Kansas product started his campaign in Golden State’s No. 12 jersey with a corner 3-pointer on an assist from Eric Paschall in the first quarter.

Via @gswchris on Twitter:

After scoring five points in the first quarter, Oubre Jr. showed up on the defensive end of the floor. With Denver’s Michael Porter Jr. driving to the basket, Oubre Jr. sprung in for his first block as a member of the Warriors.

Oubre Jr. popped on offense again in the third quarter. The slashing wing drove to the bucket on Porter Jr. to finish a tough layup with an and-one foul at the rim.

Via @warriors on Twitter:

The former Phoenix Sun swiped another block later over Paul Millsap. After the veteran big man was sent away by Oubre Jr., Curry picked up the loose ball on his way to a fast-break 3-pointer.

Adding to his defensive effort, Oubre Jr. was spotted picking up Jamal Murray full court. Oubre Jr. applied pressure to the Kentucky product for the full 94 feet.

Oubre Jr. finished the game with 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field with four rebounds, three blocks and two assists in 22 minutes.

During Golden State’s 107-105 victory over the Nuggets, Oubre Jr. showed flashes of his versatile skill set, from his ability to get to the rim, knock down a corner 3-pointer and his active defense were all on display on Saturday.

Oubre Jr. and the Warriors will travel to Sacramento for their second preseason game on Tuesday at the Golden 1 Center.

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Kelly Oubre Jr. can’t wait to wreak ‘havoc’ with Andrew Wiggins in Golden State

As teammates with the Golden State Warriors, Kelly Oubre Jr. can’t wait to wreak “havoc” with fellow Kansas Jayhawk product Andrew Wiggins.

Although 2020-21 will be Kelly Oubre Jr., and Andrew Wiggins first season as teammates for the Golden State Warriors, the duo shares something in common. Before jumping to the NBA level, Oubre Jr. and Wiggins each played for Bil Self at the University of Kansas.

Before getting drafted with the first overall pick in 2014, Wiggins tallied 17.1 points on 44.8% shooting from the field with 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals during his only season for the Jayhawks.

One year later, Oubre Jr. earned Big 12 All-Freshman honors while averaging 9.3 points on 44.4% shooting from the field with five rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.

Despite not playing together in Lawerence, Oubre Jr. said he shares a connection with Wiggins. During a training camp press conference with media, Oubre Jr. spoke about meeting Wiggins at his Kansas college visit.

He’s a great dude. He’s very low key like myself. We get to connect in being introverts. It’s really a great feeling to finally be able to play with him. When I went on my visit to Kansas, he was there, obviously. And I got to talk to him and just ask him some questions to pick his brain. Now that we’re on the same side — we’ve always had that bond and that connection that we can just continue to follow through with.

When asked about “creating havoc” with Wiggins on the wing in Golden State, Oubre Jr. said he “can’t wait.”

Havoc. I can’t wait to wreak it with my boy.

Listen to Oubre Jr.’s full press conference via Warriors SoundCloud. 

Without Klay Thompson, Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors will likely lean on Oubre Jr. and Wiggins to fill the five-time All-Star’s scoring and defensive role.

During Golden State’s preseason training camp, Oubre Jr. and Wiggins will have the opportunity to build on the chemistry the duo initially created with their Kansas connection.

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Photos: Warriors report back to Chase Center for start of preseason training camp

Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre Jr. and other Warriors are back on the floor at Chase Center for the start of training camp.

Although two positive COVID-19 tests put a delay on the start of practice, players are beginning to report for the Golden State Warriors preseason training camp.

After over eight months away from game-action, Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney are making their return to the Bay Area for the start of camp. Along with Golden State’s veterans, new arrivals like Kelly Oubre Jr. and Kent Bazemore are lacing up for their first workouts in San Francisco’s Chase Center.

While preseason training camps in the past have served as a refresher course for veteran teams coming off a deep playoff run for Golden State, 2020 will be different. Along with many players coming off an extended layoff between games, camp will welcome the arrival of several new faces.

Leading up to the start of the season on Dec. 22 against the Brooklyn Nets, Curry and Draymond Green will need to build chemistry with a new looking rotation that features Oubre Jr., Wiggins, Eric Paschall and No. 2 overall selection from the 2020 draft James Wiseman.

Before group practices start on Monday, players could hit the Chase Center practice facility for individual workouts. Below are photos and videos from social media of players who have already reported to camp for individual workouts.

The Warriors will host the Denver Nuggets for their first preseason game on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 5:30 p.m. PST.

Kelly Oubre Jr. picks new jersey number with the Golden State Warriors

After officially joining the Golden State Warriors on a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kelly Oubre Jr. will don a new number when he suits up in the Bay Area.

After officially joining the Golden State Warriors on a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kelly Oubre Jr.’s next step with his new team is finding a jersey number.

Last season, Oubre Jr. laced up in the No. 3 jersey for the Phoenix Suns. With No. 3 claimed by Jordan Poole, the newest member of the Warriors is going back to his roots.

With a post on his Instagram, Oubre Jr. shared a photo of his locker with the No. 12 featuring in the picture. In the caption, the 6-foot-7 wing had “12 Back” listed. During his start in the NBA, Oubre Jr. wore No. 12 with the Washington Wizards. Before his time in the NBA, Oubre Jr. also wore No. 12 at the college level with the Kansas Jayhawks.

Via @gswchris on Twitter:

Via @EitenneCatalan on Twitter:

Prior to recently waived point guard Ky Bowman wearing No. 12 in his rookie season with the Warriors, Andrew Bogut wore the number during his tenure in the Bay Area. While rooming the frontcourt from 2013-2019, the former No. 1 overall pick out of Utah wore the jersey.

Along with Bogut and Bowman, other members of the Warriors to wear No. 12 are Bimbo Coles, Mike Gale and Ish Smith.

Two of Golden State’s draft picks have also landed on their new jersey numbers. No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman is slated to wear No. 33 and second-round pick Nico Mannion will wear No. 2.

 

Oubre Jr., Wiseman and Mannion will have the first opportunity to suit up in their new threads when the Warriors open the 2020-21 season at the end of December.

Report: Oklahoma City Thunder in ‘serious talks’ to trade Kelly Oubre Jr. to Golden State Warriors

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Oklahoma City Thunder are in “serious talks” to move Kelly Oubre Jr. to the Warriors.

After announcing Klay Thompson will miss the entire 2020-21 season, the Golden State Warriors have turned their attention to the trade market.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Golden State Warriors are in “serious talks” with the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire Kelly Oubre Jr.

Via @ShamsChrania on Twitter:

In 2019-20, Oubre averaged 18.7 points on 45.2% shooting from the field with 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals per contest for the Phoenix Suns.

On Monday, the former 2015 first-round pick was traded by the Suns to the Oklahoma City Thunder as a piece in the Chris Paul blockbuster move.

Oubre’s $14.4 million salary can fit under Golden State’s $17.2 million trade exception they acquired in the Andre Iguodala trade with the Memphis Grizzlies last season.

It’s still unclear what type of compensation the Warriors will be sending to the Thunder to acquire the Kansas Jayhawks product.