Getting To Know Draft Pick (And Trade Acquisition) Kelly Oubre Jr.

By Josh Wilson | Jun 26, 2015

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Kelly Oubre (Kansas) heads to the stage after being selected as the number fifteen overall pick to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Draft night has to be one of the most exciting, electrifying events of the NBA season that doesn’t actually involve a basketball court. It’s a night for young players to get their first step in the NBA, and for some, they take more steps in one night than they may have envisioned themselves taking.

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This held true for former Kansas Jayhawk Kelly Oubre Jr. After being drafted 15th overall by the Atlanta Hawks, he was involved in a three-team trade that landed him with the Washington Wizards, who sent away their first round pick from Notre Dame, Jerian Grant.

So, without further adieu, let’s get to know the freshest face in Washington, who has a lot more to him than the first look, once you do some digging.

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First off, make sure you know how to pronounce his name, because you’re probably trying to figure it out if you didn’t watch much Kansas ball last year. So, for reference, it’s “ooh-bray.”

Oubre is a small forward, not exactly what we all envisioned the Wizards going after on draft night. Their needs seem to be in the power forward position, as they still continue to look for that perfect power forward to stretch the floor for John Wall to work his magic.

Oubre only played about 20 minutes per game for Kansas last year, averaging 9.3 points per game, and just over a whole steal per game. Not bad, but not necessarily good for a player that will be working himself into games right away. He did have a tough assignment this year in Kansas though, acting as the successor for last year’s No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins.

He’s got a lot to prove before he gets much playing time.

This video of his draft workout really impressed me. Although it is just a workout, there’s still a lot we can appreciate from it.

First off, he’s obviously quick. He moves swiftly, and I really like that about Oubre.

In addition to this, he proved with this workout video that he can be a versatile player. His ability to move quickly to the hoop for some explosive dunks was evident, as was his long range, hitting four three-pointers in a row at one point. He constantly showed off his midrange game, something head coach Randy Wittman probably liked to see.

Also, his defense was shown having a clear motive, and that motive was aggression. He is constantly right up in his opponents’ face, and often was able to use this aggressive defense to force turnovers that turned into fast break dunks last season.

This skill to force turnovers is one not a lot of players have, so if he can use it in the NBA just as well, he’ll be in decent shape. Let’s hope he doesn’t lose sight of his defensive skills.

My favorite part of this video, and in general from his game footage, is the conviction he plays with. The confidence he dribbles the ball with, the persistence of his defense and the believability of his ball fakes truly impress me, and I hope he can bring that through to the NBA.

Where does this conviction come from? Well, you must know this about Oubre, that he has faced his fair share of adversity. This video highlights his journey well.

Oubre was a victim of hurricane Katrina, and tragically had to leave his old life behind and find a brand new life in Houston. He doesn’t look at it as a sad point in his life, however. He used basketball as an outlet for the “chip” on his shoulder, and credits this tragedy to how he got to where he is today.

I hope he continues to play with this chip on his shoulder. I hope the passion, and conviction we saw from him continues to power through in his gameplay. If he can do this, he will surely be seeing minutes quickly, and making the most of them.

All in all, I don’t think Oubre will be on the floor a lot right away. In fact, the D-League may be where he starts. But I do believe he can be a great defender, and a player that plays with lots of passion. I think his versatility will allow him to fit into Washington well.

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