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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 10: Klay Thompson of USA in action during the men’s preliminary round group A match between USA and Australia at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 10, 2016. (Photo by Okan Ozer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 10: Klay Thompson of USA in action during the men’s preliminary round group A match between USA and Australia at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 10, 2016. (Photo by Okan Ozer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Klay Thompson tearing his Achilles heel felt like a blow to basketball in general. While the Golden State Warriors will undoubtedly miss him, his injury was sad for every fan.
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Klay is one of the most underrated players in the league and will have to be sidelined for a second consecutive season. He missed last season with an ACL tear, and now he is shackled to the stretcher to aid his injury.
However, the Warriors have gotten Kelly Oubre Jr. to fill out the starting lineup. Oubre came to Golden State a few days after the Phoenix Suns traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Chris Paul.
However, Oubre won’t get a chance to wear the OKC stripes even once. The Thunder flipped him to Golden State for a protected first-round pick, building on their massive asset stockpile.
The Golden State Warriors are finalizing a trade to acquire Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kelly Oubre, Jr., for a 2021 protected first-round pick, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 20, 2020
While there is no replacing Klay Thompson, Oubre does help absorb the blow. But what about the Warriors this season? With Steph Curry entering his mid-thirties, the championship window is getting smaller.
Can the newest addition to the team unlock the rest of its components enough to help them contend?
Klay Thompson gone, but Kelly Oubre saves the day?
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Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) is congratulated by teammate Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson (11) after Curry sinks a three-pointer in the final minute of the game in the fourth quarter of their game at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014. Golden State defeats Brooklyn 93-86. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) (Photo by MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images)
Oubre offered something that the Warriors needed. A good piece that can fit along the wing to compensate for the lack of scoring by Draymond Green.
He is also a piece that can fit into the lineup regularly if Andrew Wiggins doesn’t pan out. Oubre has had two stops in the NBA already, but the Warriors will be the first team that gives him a genuine chance to compete.
Oubre may not come close to being a shooter like Klay Thompson, but he did average 35% shooting from 3 on over 5 attempts a game.
Playing with Steph, Oubre is bound to get a lot of great looks from three. He is instantly the second-best three-point shooter on the lineup which really helps them maintain their frenetic style of play.
Oubre is a very skilled slasher and will provide a lot of buckets from within the line as well. It is good to have an all-around offensive option like Kelly Oubre. He isn’t at the All-Star level just yet; however, he is a more than a serviceable player for the Warriors in their current setup.
