Kelly Oubre Is Heading To The NBA, But Is He Ready?

Jan 19, 2015; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self talks with guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (12) in a timeout during the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won 85-78. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

From the very moment Kelly Oubre Jr. arrived on campus in Lawrence, there was the given assumption that the Kansas Jayhawks freshman would spend only one season under Bill Self before making the jump to the NBA. This presumption became reality last Wednesday when Oubre declared for the 2015 NBA Draft by way of a YouTube video.

I love you all , even the Haters #KUCMB4L http://t.co/qyXwz0M80X
— t$unami (@KELLYOUBREJR) April 1, 2015

Oubre, now the only Jayhawk to have declared for this year’s draft, is widely regarded as a late lottery pick due to his ideal size as an NBA wing and the ever-so-common upside factor that seems to make guys with only one year of college experience the priority of the draft. Based on his physical tools and potential alone, there’s no question that Oubre won’t have to wait long to hear his name called on draft night, but is he really ready for the jump to the NBA?

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The initial eye test suggests Oubre is ready. At 6’7” with a 7’2” wingspan, Oubre has a frame that nearly every NBA GM would love to have among their rotation, especially when it comes in the form of a 19-year-old kid. Additionally, Oubre’s skill set is one that should allow him to find minutes out of the gate in the NBA if given an appropriate system.

As a rookie, Oubre’s calling card will likely be knocking down threes, getting out in transition and making plays at the rim and using his athleticism to make some plays on defense. He doesn’t particularly excel in any one category, but Oubre has shown tremendous potential to do so in several aspects of his game and as such a raw NBA prospect with plenty of development ahead of him, this could serve as a benefit for Oubre in the pros, as seen by Sam Vecenie of CBS Sports:

"“Basically, Oubre is a blank canvas for NBA coaches to mold into whatever they want him to become. There are a lot of different potential outcomes here. Maybe he becomes a terrific 3-and-D player (he made 36 percent of his catch-and-shoot shots this year, which is solid). Maybe he becomes a slashing terror. Maybe he’ll do it all and become a star.”"

In his lone season at Kansas, Oubre averaged 9.3 points and five rebounds per game, along with 1.1 steals. These aren’t the most eye-popping numbers for a guy expected to become a lottery pick, but again, the vast majority of guys in the modern era of basketball are drafted on potential alone and Oubre certainly has a ton of that.

Offensively, Oubre has the potential to develop into an elite athlete at the next level once his frame fills out. He can jump out of the gym when given a clear look at the rim, he hits threes at a 36-percent clip and his confidence spills out when he’s able to get things going.

Oubre has shown signs of solid defensive potential as well. He’s very quick laterally and can guard every position on the perimeter. His numbers won’t reflect the impact he had, but Oubre was able to often make the lives of the opposition difficult with his length, which is something that will be a given at the next level.

But just as there’s the good that comes with Oubre’s raw talent and potential, there plenty of room for improvement and some some key parts of his game need to see a major upgrade if he has any hopes of not watching from the sidelines for the majority of his entry to the NBA.

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I’ll begin with his most glaring issue: Oubre can’t finish with his right hand. This isn’t to say he absolutely can’t, but he rarely ever does and it often results in looks at the rim being much harder than they should normally be, as Oubre often comes back across his body from the right side to finish with his left.

There’s no way Oubre will be able to survive in the NBA if he can’t learn how to start finishing with his right hand. Next level defenders are simply too good and know the game too well to just let Oubre take the easy route and continually attack the rim with his left. NBA defenders are going to make Oubre prove he can beat them with his off hand and if he isn’t able to, finding points at the rim is going to become scarce in the near future.

Oubre is also far from what we would consider being a strong ball handler. As a small forward, this isn’t too glaring of an issue, but it’s certainly not going to make the transition to the NBA any easier and in Oubre’s case, the ball slows him down, thus, limiting his athletic advantages and that’s going to pose some problems anywhere he ends up.

On the other side of the ball, one thing that must change for Oubre as he fights to find minutes and prove his worth on an NBA roster is his inconsistent effort and activity on the defensive end. While he’s shown some glimpses of what he can do when he’s locked in and engaged in the game, Oubre has also been caught standing around, ball watching and is prone to losing his man as a result.

Additionally, and even more concerning, is Oubre not even contesting shots at times and playing defense with his hands at his side. It’s very unlikely Oubre makes his name in the NBA on offense for his first few years so his contributions on defense will be key and he’s certainly got some question marks in the category.

Putting all of his potential and upside to the side, Oubre is essentially an impressive athlete with the ability to finish with ease with his dominant hand, hit some threes and make a defensive play every now and then. And this point, he’s nothing more.

By my assessment, Oubre simply isn’t ready for the NBA game. There’s absolutely no question that his potential is limitless and he certainly could become a tremendous player at the next level at some point, but with so many elementary elements of his game needing major work, such as his finishing with his right and and simply competing, another year in college would have allowed Oubre to make a much more fluid jump to the NBA.

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