'He's ready to kind of wreak havoc' Stephen Curry impressed by Kelly Oubre Jr. in Golden State Warriors' workouts
The 2020-21 NBA season is very pivotal for the Golden State Warriors. Given the humongous wage bill that they're going to carry, the franchise would be hoping for as deep a playoff run as possible, even without the injured Klay Thompson. Stephen Curry is set to play an important in that regard but currently, even he's left impressed by the newly acquired Kelly Oubre Jr. in training camp.
Stephen Curry expects Kelly Oubre to surprise a lot of people
Stephen Curry and Kelly Oubre haven't practiced together too many times but the former can already see that his new Golden State Warriors teammate is special. Curry appeared on 95.7 The Game's Damon, Ratto & Kolsky's showed praise on Oubre. He explained:
"I think he's hungry, man. Just in terms of what's been his experience the last two years in Phoenix and being bounced around in trades over this offseason. ... He's got amazing energy, amazing athleticism and his skill set with the ball in his hands will surprise a lot of people as a playmaker. And I think defensively ... he's ready to kind of wreak havoc with [Andrew Wiggins] and with [Draymond Green] and [James Wiseman] and [Kevon Looney] and the like." [H/T: NBC Sports Bay Area]
Kelly Oubre expected to turn up big for the Golden State Warriors
There will be a lot of pressure on Kelly Oubre Jr. to perform for the Golden State Warriors. After Thompson's injury, he'll be expected to replace the 5-time All-Star's prowess in the Warriors' starting lineup. Let's also not forget that by trading for Oubre, the franchise has increased its luxury tax bill significantly.
Still only 25, Kelly Oubre has already spent five years in the NBA. He was drafted by the Washington Wizards before being traded to Phoenix Suns in the middle of the 2018-19 campaign. After a career-defining campaign last year where he averaged 18.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, Oubre decided against playing in the bubble.
As a result, Mikal Bridges took over his role in Phoenix and Oubre became expendable. So after being traded twice, he finds himself with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, looking to prove his value before entering free agency in 2021.
Also read: 'Come playoff time, whenever that is, we’ll be there' - Stephen Curry confident Golden State Warriors will get to the post-season despite Klay Thompson's injury