Warriors’ New Entrant Kelly Oubre Jr. Posts League-Worst Performance Against Bucks

The Golden State Warriors are facing the danger of losing their sheen early. They are coming off a terrible year, and the present-day situation does not appear any better. Stephen Curry is leading from the front, but there is only so much he can do.

The absence of Klay Thompson and now Draymond Green has exposed them. They make for a decent side, but nothing of the level that can beat the likes of star-studded Brooklyn Nets or defense-loaded Milwaukee Bucks.

The main reason for the Warriors‘ slump is due to the fact that a couple of members from their starting-five are unable to live up to the expectations.

Kelly Oubre Jr. is having a hard time performing

The Tsunami Papi has now played two games for GSW, but he struggled to perform in both fixtures and his numbers serve as evidence. He scored 6 points (26 minutes) against the Nets and only 3 points (20 minutes) against the Bucks.

The more concerning area in his game is the lack of accuracy from behind the arc. Oubre is now 0-11 from downtown this season, and that’s the worst ratio the league has ever witnessed from a player’s initial two games. 

The 25-YO has been a starter for the Warriors so far. In his five-year career prior to this, the small forward had only opened in 99/348 games. However, he is coming off a season with the Suns where he was trusted in the starting lineup alongside Devin Booker and others in 55/56 games. But as of now, the Louisiana native has enjoyed no luck with his new team.

What are Warriors’ expectations from Kelly?

The 6’7” forward is viewed as a complete all-around player in the league. Oubre is coming off a career-best season with an average of 18+ ppg and can adapt to different roles on the court. His catch-and-shoot ability is also good, but nothing seems to be working for him in this season.

The franchise acquired Kelly Oubre from the Oklahoma City Thunder after the very unfortunate news of Klay’s injury popped. They gave away a conditional 2021 1st round pick and a 2021 second-round pick (via Denver) to complete the acquisition. It is clear that the franchise wants him to stay consistent in the starting-five and produce better offensive results. 

Although Oubre has shown some worth in the defense, his shooting prowess is a major concern. His field goal accuracy in the first two games is also very poor as the forward holds a dismal 4-24 record.

Now with all that being said, it is still too early to make a judgment and one can only hope that he gets better in the coming days.