Hawks select Kelly Oubre Jr., reportedly trade him to Wizards
The Atlanta Hawks selected Kansas swingman Kelly Oubre Jr. with the No. 15 pick, but reportedly completed a trade that will send him to the Washington Wizards.
Oubre, a 6'7" small forward, averaged 9.1 points and 5 rebounds in 20.9 minutes per game for Jayhawks in his lone season on campus. He played in all of Kansas' 36 games but struggled to break into the rotation early in the season.
Oubre was born in New Orleans but was forced to leave the city after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when Oubre was in third grade. Oubre and his family moved to Texas, where he remained through his junior year of high school. He then spent his senior year at Findlay Prep in Nevada, where he eventually became the No. 12 recruit in the nation.
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Strengths: Oubre possesses the potential to develop into a versatile perimeter defender. His combination of length (7’2 ½” wingspan), athleticism and awareness should allow him to guard multiple positions in the NBA. Oubre also can create turnovers—he posted the fifth-highest steal percentage among Big 12 players during conference play last season, according to kenpom.com—and holds his own on the defensive glass. On the other end of the floor. Oubre is primarily a spot-up shooter. He hit 35.8% of his three-point attempts last season and averaged more than a point per possession on spot-up opportunities, according to Synergy Sports.
Weaknesses: Oubre could develop into a solid floor-spacer in the NBA, but his jump shot was inconsistent at Kansas. Over his final eight regular season games, Oubre connected on only 18.8% of his treys. Oubre also didn’t display a consistent ability to create good shot opportunities inside the arc. He sank 38% of his mid-range shots and converted fewer than 50% of his two-point attempts. Oubre didn’t distinguish himself as a playmaker, either, as he recorded 1.4 assists per 40 minutes (adjusted for pace), fewer than frontcourt teammates Perry Ellis and Jamari Traylor. Though Oubre presents upside as a two-way wing, he will likely need some time to develop before making a significant impact.
